Paperwork for a Week (and other one-shots)
by Aikori Ichijouji
Summary: NEW - FRIED CHICKEN AND ASSUMPTIONS: Kyoko wants to help a certain someone get in the Christmas spirit... fluff ensues. Canon Secret Santa fic. #MerrySkipmas Daamile!
1. Paperwork for a Week

**TALES FROM THE WRITER'S BLOCK: I've been having the worst time with the newest chapter of my other story that I had to write this one just to get the idea out of my head. This was supposed to be an alternate ending to 'Criminal' that I'm not planning to use. However, it kept bugging me to turn it into a real story. So I gave it the one-shot treatment and made you guys some sickly sweet fluff for your reading pleasure. I hope you enjoy it... or not; that's cool too.**

* * *

"I'll bet you paperwork for a week that Tsuruga will have a girlfriend before the end of filming that new movie he's in.", Kanae put her pen down and looked pointedly at Kyoko.

"Moko-san, it's cruel to place bets on Tsuruga-san like that. I want no part of this.", Kyoko whined as she closed the folder she had been working on.

"Oh, does my rival think she's going to lose?", Kanae teased.

"No, I think _you're_ going to lose, but it's not fair to turn Tsuruga-san's love life into a game.", Kyoko folded her arms with a pout.

Kyoko didn't even remember how they got started on this topic in the first place and tried to think back. They were given a large stack of paper and folders by Sawara earlier and set to work on organizing and updating them. At some point, in between grumbling about having to wade through stacks of paper, she must have brought up Ren's latest role in an upcoming movie. She had just talked to him the night before about it when he called her. While it was true that he was working with a very attractive co-star, it wasn't all that unusual for him.

"Why are you even saying this, Moko-san? Do you think he's in love with is co-star? I suppose she is quite pretty…", Kyoko trailed off.

"I could care less about that doe-eyed hack.", Kanae snapped. "All I know is I've been seeing him around here with this lovesick look on his face for weeks. He's got it bad for someone."

In reality, it had been longer than just a few weeks. Kanae was well aware that the tall actor had an extremely noticeable crush on her friend. Ever since Kyoko completed her 'Dangerous Mission', it had gone from extremely noticeable to glaringly obvious. He called her every night when he wasn't working late and regularly took her out to lunch and dinner under the guise of making sure he ate properly. She knew it was only a matter of time before he made his move but she wanted to get some fun out of it too. Having Kyoko do a week's worth of paperwork by herself would just be icing on the cake. After all, she'd be graduating from LoveMe soon after anyway.

"It's not like you have to tell him about it. We can keep it a secret just between us.", Kanae whispered conspiratorially.

Kyoko could not resist jumping at the chance to share a secret with her best friend. She always wanted to have a friend she could whisper back and forth with and share clandestine giggles about some completely trivial subject that was important only to them. Besides, she was fairly certain Kanae was going to lose. She knew about Ren's feelings for that as-yet unnamed highschool girl and he had already decided he was never going to do anything about it.

Not to mention the whole pesky business of her own feelings for him. The thought of him dating anyone caused a twinge in her heart and she felt disgustingly selfish for taking respite in the fact that he remained single. He, at least, deserved to be happy but seemed to be hellbent on not getting that close to anyone. As much as it pained her to make a wager on her respected senior's private life, she knew she had this one in the bag.

"If you promise that this stays only with us, then you're on.", Kyoko decided.

Kanae nodded with a smile and they shook hands. This was going to be amusing. She figured Kyoko most likely did not even consider herself as a potential candidate. Kyoko may be very smart, but she was painfully oblivious to every advance Ren had made towards her so far.

Over a month had passed and the bet seemed completely forgotten. Neither girl had mentioned it to the other but Kyoko secretly thought she was in the lead and was eagerly awaiting the end of filming so she could claim her victory from Kanae. Ren confided in her one night about his frustration with his co-star's recent demands on set. She knew there was no way he would go for someone so unprofessional. This would be an easy win.

On one particular evening, Kyoko was due to meet up with Ren at TBM before going to dinner. He had been nearby doing a promotion for the movie while she was finishing up another night as Bo. While she did let it slip to him that she had a regular job at TBM, she couldn't bring herself to come clean as to what it actually was. She was afraid he would interpret it as a betrayal of his confidence.

He must have finished earlier than anticipated as Kyoko ran smack into Ren's chest as she scuttled down the hallway in full Bo regalia. When she looked up and saw who she collided into, she fought back a yelp and quickly adjusted the tone of her voice before apologizing.

"My apologies, Tsuruga-kun. I wasn't looking where I was going."

"That probably hurt you more than me being jostled around in there like that. Are you alright?", he chuckled as he watched the apparently flustered chicken.

"Oh! Yes! Really, I'm fine. Just in a hurry to get out of this thing, you know. It gets quite hot in here.", Bo's wings flapped nervously.

"I shouldn't keep you, then. Though I was hoping we'd finally have a chance to catch up.", he looked somewhat disappointed.

"No, how rude of me! Of course I can spare a few minutes for you. It's not often we run into each other, literally." A wing nudged Ren jokingly in the side and he laughed.

As they both took a seat on a set of benches in a nearby deserted corridor, Kyoko wondered how long this was going to take. It was only a matter of time before he realized that she was running late. She would need to find a way to keep this short so she could get changed.

"So, how have you been? It's been quite a while, hasn't it?", Bo asked quickly.

"It has indeed. I have actually been quite busy.", he leaned forward, bracing his elbows against his knees.

"Wonderful! And whatever happened with that girl? Have you been too busy for romance as well?", the chicken's head cocked itself to one side.

"She's not really the type for romancing, per se. But, I think—well, I hope at least— we've been getting closer."

"That…that's great! So you've changed your mind about telling her how you feel?", Kyoko gulped.

She did not want to hear what he was going to say next. It wasn't just losing the bet; it hurt her heart to know that Ren was leaving her behind. Kyoko wanted nothing more than to be happy for him but any enthusiasm she tried to generate felt hollow.

"I think I owe her at least that much. Of course, there's no guaranteeing that she feels the same way."

"About you? How could she not? You are only the most eligible bachelor in Japan.", she tried desperately to hide the cracking in her voice.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence but, if you knew her, maybe you would understand my apprehension.", a wry smile formed on his face as he spoke.

Kyoko was rendered speechless. One one hand, she was devastated that she had to be having this conversation and all she wanted to do was go home, curl into a ball and cry herself to sleep. On the other, she was mad at Ren for having such little confidence in himself. It was the oddest turmoil of wanting to push him away but also to comfort him.

"Actually, maybe you do know her.", Ren continued.

"I-I'm sorry?", she broke out of her reverie.

"You see, the whole reason why I'm even here tonight is to meet up with her. I was going to tell her tonight."

"You mean… she was a guest tonight?", she was confused. Wasn't _she_ the one he was supposed to be meeting tonight?

"No, she works here. Fairly regularly in fact. I wondered if maybe you two have met.", he pensively tapped at his chin as he spoke.

"Well I do see a lot of faces when I'm here. W-would you describe her to me?", despite the aching in her chest, her curiosity got the better of her.

"Easier said than done. She…she's pure energy and determination with a smile that can brighten the darkest corner of any room. But she's more than just a brilliant smile beneath an adorable mess of orange hair and golden eyes. She's beautiful and kind and considerate to a fault.", there was a far away look in his eyes as he spoke.

"That doesn't really—", she stopped when she realized he was still talking.

"And even when she's down, she always finds a way to pick herself back up and move on and she can talk anyone else into doing the same. If I could only be half as strong as she is, maybe then I'd feel worthy of someone like Kyoko.", he sighed and put his head in his hands.

"Well, she sounds wonderful but… I'm sorry… d-did you just say Kyoko?"

"Yes. She works for LME and is here regularly for some job or another. I'm supposed to be meeting her here after she gets off work. Do you know her?", he lifted his head and looked hopefully at the chicken.

Kyoko removed her arm from the costume's wing and touched her face, feeling the path of tears as they cascaded from her eyes. There was just no way that he could be saying all of that about her; that he could be in love with her. It had to be a dream. Maybe she passed out from exhaustion before changing out of the costume and she was laying unconscious in a room somewhere. None of this could be real.

"As a matter of fact, I do know her.", she made no effort to conceal her voice in her response.

Her hands were shaking as she unsteadily lifted the wings to the head of the costume and slowly lifted it off of her. Damp hair clung to her face and tears continued to fall as she raised her eyes to meet Ren's.

"And you're not the one who should feel unworthy. If anything, I could never feel worthy of someone like you.", her voice was almost a whisper.

"Kyoko?! Has it really been you this whole time?", he barely managed to choke out the words as he stared dumbfounded at her.

"I'm sorry. I never intended to hurt you and I never knew it was me you were talking about until now. I only wanted to help. You looked like you were having such a hard time back then.", she searched his face for any sign that he was upset.

And then, he did something she did not expect. He laughed.

"Tsuruga-san, this is really not that funny.", she wiped at her face with a wing-covered hand.

"I'm sorry. But, of all of the odd coincidences to happen, I unknowingly confessed my feelings to the girl I love while she's in a chicken suit."

"Okay, maybe it's a little funny.", she smiled softly.

"Wait a minute…", he suddenly stopped laughing.

"What?"

"You haven't run away. I told you how I feel and you're not running away.", he looked genuinely puzzled.

"I'm sorry. Was I supposed to? That would be a bit rude."

"What I mean to say is, are you okay with all this? With what I've said?", he clarified.

"I… don't know. This is a lot to take in all at once.", she looked away as she collected her thoughts.

"Please, don't let me rush you. You probably need some time to process before you can respond properly.", he wanted to hold her hand, but settled for placing his on the wing closest to him.

"It's fine, really. You tried so hard to be honest with me, I owe you the same in return."

"You don't have to—", he tried to stop her.

"Just let me do this!", she interrupted him, unintentionally raising her voice in frustration. "It really shouldn't be this difficult because I feel the same way… about you, I mean."

"You do?!", he squeaked his surprise.

"Yes. And you are a far braver person than I am since I decided I would never tell you because I assumed there was no way you would ever return my feelings. And yet, here you are telling me everything I never believed about myself.", her face felt hot and she was sure she was blushing profusely.

"Believe it. Because all of it is true.", he reached up and held her face with one hand as he looked her squarely in the eye.

"I'll try.", she shrugged uncertainly.

"I apologize for being horribly unprepared for all of this but… where do we go from here?", it was his turn to look oddly at Kyoko as she laughed.

"Well, for starters, I owe Moko-san a weeks worth of paperwork."

* * *

 **BECAUSE THE AUTHER JUST WON'T SHUT UP: And this is where my alternate ideas go to die. Hope it was a fun ride. Maybe now I can finish my third rewrite of the remainder my other story. I'd like to get at least one more chapter up before I'm out geeking it up at a con at the end of the month. In the meantime, be excellent to each other!**

 **Author out!**


	2. Temporary Bliss

Kyoko honestly could not accurately recall how exactly she ended up at Ren's apartment this time. She decided to go with the logical conclusion that she helped him get home because he was not feeling well. Whether or not that was the case, she still had to address the fact that the lanky actor was sprawled beside her on the couch in a daze. Dark rings had formed around his eyes and he was actively fighting to keep them open to stare at her.

He looked about as bad as she felt. As someone who grew up always being by herself, she was taken by surprise as to the ease with which she became accustomed to sharing a bed with someone else; a habit which ended abruptly with her return from Guam. Granted, she fought hard against it at first. Kyoko was hard-pressed to let Setsu's spirit take over at night but, following her fateful conversation with President Takarada, she found that she had no need to and indulged her own undisclosed desires. Unfortunately, there was no Setsuka Heel anymore and, therefore, no reason to share a bed with anyone. However, the distinct lack of long legs and arms to pull, push, and curl around her had disrupted her sleeping pattern to the point that she was running on, at most, three hours of sleep each day.

To say that it had only recently begun to take its toll on her would be an understatement. Kyoko had resorted to the occasional sleeping pill on nights she knew she had no commitments the following morning. The grogginess that followed awakening from a drug-induced slumber lasted too long into the mornings for her to be functional in any way. She had combat practice to attend and a role to audition for and she could not let a lack of sleep keep her from advancing her career. And, speaking of sleep, she should really be getting home. Why was she even here again?

"Tsuruga-san," her head lolled onto the back of the couch. "It is late and I need to go home. I am very tired."

"Isn't that why you're here?" he peeked open one eye to look at her. She could not remember noticing when he let them slide shut. "You're tired. I'm tired. Neither of us has slept well since Guam."

"What?" she picked her head back up and stared at him. "How is my being here supposed to help with any of those things?"

"Because," he labored to get the words out without mumbling. "We've been sleeping apart this whole time. We need to sleep together to feel better."

Her voice went up an octave, "I'm not sleeping with you."

"Just sleep, Kyoko," he threw an arm over his eyes. "Just… sleep."

"Fine," she said after a long pause; he had to be either very angry or half-unconscious to say her name so easily. "But, if you try anything funny, I'm leaving right away."

"Too exhausted to try anything. Not that I would, anyway," his words slurred together.

"Of course you wouldn't," she snapped back bitterly. There was no need to remind her that he had no interest in her.

"Sleep now. Argue later," his tone was a clear indication that the conversation was over and, with a loud groan, he heaved himself up from the couch and began the trudge to his room. He stopped midway to look back at her.

She hesitated a moment further before getting up to join him. They collapsed on his bed fully clothed. Kyoko knew her waking self would be fraught with worry in the morning but she was too damn tired to care at this point. For the first time in several weeks, she would get a good night's rest; being beside the man she loved was just an added bonus. Just this once, she would allow herself to indulge and worry about consequences and propriety later. But _just_ this once.

* * *

After the first night, she promptly awoke in the wee hours of the morning, the sun was on the cusp of the horizon and an eerie silence had settled over the city. Carefully—and reluctantly, if she was honest— extracting herself from the warmth of his arms, she quietly left the apartment and went home. She went to work that day with a smile so brilliant it caused more people to stare at her than usual. After seeing her so down for weeks, everyone took notice when she suddenly regained her usual perky demeanor. But, after the first night, the dread in her heart told her this was going to become a routine and there was nothing she could, or wanted, to do to stop it.

For the next month, they would arrange to meet periodically. Every night seemed a bit too excessive as neither of them wanted to appear too eager and, each morning, she would leave before he woke. Kyoko invested in a couple beanies and a pair of thick rimmed glasses to avoid attention should anyone take notice of her frequent visits. It was stressful and she was constantly paranoid and vigilant, but the exhilaration and relief from spending a night with him seemed to make it all worth it.

Ren had no idea how he managed to luck into this arrangement and thanked his lucky stars for the opportunity to have the woman of his dreams become the woman in his bed; even if it was only to sleep. Not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth, he never pressed her as to why she agreed to it with so little protest. While it gave him a glimmer of hope, he was hesitant to read more into it and simply enjoyed their time together. Her concerns about discretion were well founded and he respected her requests to maintain secrecy. It helped that he found their use of 'Princess Rosa' as their code word both ingenious and adorable. They could easily slip it into conversation or a quick text message and no one would be any wiser.

He found himself holding her tighter in the mornings; wishing she would stay later rather than slipping out just after sunrise. It was better when he was still sleeping at the time she would leave as he did not feel the emptiness her absence left behind as quickly. Instead, he had to start pretending he was still asleep as he knew she was trying to avoid the awkwardness of morning conversation. He was afraid to try for anything more at the risk of pushing her away but he wondered how long he would be satisfied with the way things currently were.

Nearly two months later, things finally came to a head as an unfortunate result of carelessly uttered words. Kyoko was having difficulty falling asleep that night, unlike Ren who was out cold the minute his head hit the pillow. After turning over for the fortieth time, she felt the arm around her waist tighten its grip while his nose pressed itself softly against the nape of her neck. The sensation instantly began to lull her into drowsiness and she felt her eyelids droop. On the brink of sleep's abyss, her eyes shot open when she heard him mumble three words into her hair. It was the first night together in a while that she knew she would get no rest at all.

* * *

She began to avoid him and make excuses as to why she was unavailable. In the hopes that she just needed to sleep in the same room as someone else to feel rested, she managed to guilt Kanae into having a sleepover. The majority of that night, she stared at the ceiling cursing her fate. As much as she wanted to pretend the words he said that night were for her, she _knew_ they were meant for the girl he told Bo about. Falling twice for a man who had no feelings for her did not bode well for her future prospects. She was right to swear off love the first time but she allowed herself to be swallowed whole by his kindness, smiles and gentle touches. What an idiot she was.

" _We need to talk_ ," was all the text message said when she checked her phone after Yappa Kimagure Rock wrapped up for the night. She sighed, he was right, there was no way she could tiptoe around him forever.

" _We do. When and where?_ " she sent back.

" _Tonight, if possible. My place._ "

" _Alright. See you in 20,_ " she did not realize how badly her hands were shaking until she pressed 'send.'

If it was any consolation, she knew Ren would at least handle the letdown as an adult, unlike _some_ people she could mention. Steadying herself on her bike, she began the trek to his apartment. She sped through the downhills and let the rushing air whip the tears from her face as they streamed from her eyes. Locking her bike securely, she dried her face and took her time approaching the building, buying a few extra minutes to collect herself. She checked her face in her pocket mirror before knocking; the cool night air must have helped reduce the swelling as she could barely tell she had been crying at all.

Tension choked the air around them as they sat, side-by-side, on his couch. He kept opening his mouth to speak and would abruptly close it again. It was evident he was having difficulty saying what was on his mind. Kyoko stretched out her hand and placed it lightly over his. He looked at her and she smiled sadly.

"It's alright if you want to stop… what we've been doing," her voice wavered. "I'll understand."

"No, I—" she stopped him before he could say more.

"You can't—" she choked back a sob and her eyes glistened. "You can't say you love someone while you're sleeping next to someone else. I refuse to be a stand-in."

An apology died on his lips when her words fully registered in his mind, "Who did I say I love?

"Well you didn't mention a name, per se," she looked away from him, fighting back imminent tears. "But I know you weren't speaking to me."

"What did you hear me say? What were my exact words?"

"You said 'I love you,'" a tear escaped from the corner of her eye. She quickly swiped at it and prayed no others would follow.

"Kyoko, I was talking to you."

"No," she refused to believe it. He must have seen through her tears and was playing with her emotions. And here she was, thinking he would actually be mature about this.

"I love you," his eyes softened as he searched her face for a reaction. "There, I said it while awake and looking you in the eye. Do you still not believe me?"

She stared at him with eyes wide from shock. All of the blanks from the conversation Ren had with Bo suddenly made a lot more sense when they were filled with her name. Had it really been her all along?

"You love… me?"

"Yes, I do. I know you like paint me as some sort of playboy but the truth is I would never do this with anyone else," Ren shook his head seriously and continued. "I don't just casually go around asking people to sleep next to me, you know. It's only you," he pleaded. "It's only ever been you."

"I—I—" she stammers, her face an extremely impressive shade of deep red. He looked at her and waited patiently as anxiety ferociously ate away at him from the inside.

"I think… I should go home," she said finally. She needed time and she needed space.

He appeared to understand and gave her a tight smile and a small nod. Getting up from the couch, he offered his hand to her. Timidly placing hers in his, she stood and made her way to the door with him following closely behind her. Slipping her shoes back on her feet, she turned to face him once more and motioned for him to come closer. Stooping forward, he looked at her expectantly when she suddenly did something for which he was not at all prepared.

With a quick and almost feather-light touch, she pressed her lips to his cheek. She bid him a hasty farewell and slid out the door while he remained frozen in place. He continued to stand there, bent at the waist in the same position she had left him, for several moments. Still bewildered, he straightened up and staggered to his room to prepare for bed.

* * *

Ren's phone briefly buzzed in his pocket after lunch the next day. He was in the middle of a conversation with a director and ignored it until they finished speaking. It was some time later when he remembered receiving the message that he pulled it out to look. Unbidden, a smile formed on his lips as he read.

" _I'm working on a new setting for Princess Rosa tonight. I would love your opinion on it if you are available._ "

-END-

* * *

 **LOOSELY BASED ON ACTUAL EVENTS: My friends would laugh at me when I told them I could no longer sleep properly at night when I was alone. That is, until they found companions of their own and got married. Then it was my turn to laugh when they had to spend the occasional night alone... and they were miserable. Anyway, I've had spend last 5 days by myself and I have been nothing but wretched. So, I wrote this to make me feel better.**

 **I hope to have another update for _Fates Interwoven_ by Sunday, but it might be delayed due to lack of sleep. I sincerely apologize in advance if this does happen.**

 **AUTHOR OUT!**


	3. (Im)perfect Timing

(IM)PERFECT TIMING

When she was six and he was ten, they declared themselves best friends. It had been a year since Kuon and his family moved into the large house at the end of her street. Kyoko befriended him with a popsicle and a bright smile as he sat on his lawn one afternoon trying to coax a squirrel to come closer to him with a piece of bread. They spent their summer outside soaking up sunshine, riding bicycles and eating ice cream. On rainy days, they would fight over video game controllers, their laughter echoing through halls of his house and putting a smile on his parents' faces.

While school kept them apart, mostly due to their age difference, the afternoons were still theirs even after summer was over. Kyoko's mother was always busy with work but, as long as she finished her homework and did well on her tests, she was allowed to play with "that Hizuri boy down the street." The day she came home with a 65% grade on her Geography test, she was forbidden to leave the house until she brought her grade back up to an acceptable level. She bawled into her pillow that night, knowing she would be separated from Kuon. The next day, she plastered on a look of determination and threw herself into her studies.

She looked outside one night, after completing her homework, and saw a note sitting under a curious blue stone on the wall by her bedroom window. The stone was familiar; she had seen it sitting on a bookshelf in Kuon's room multiple times. With a smile, she opened the window and slid across the screen, her tiny arms stretched to their limit as she grasped for the note and its paperweight. Unfolding the paper excitedly, she read the short message:

 _Study hard so I can beat you at Mario Kart again. I'll be waiting!_

 _~ Kuon_

By the following week, she proudly came home with a 98% score on her make-up test. She ran at full speed all the way to Kuon's house, her little sneakers smacking hard against the pavement as she moved. Standing in his living room, out of breath, with a giant grin on her face, she saw him sitting in front of the TV. He looked over at her with a matching smile and offered her a game controller in his outstretched hand.

* * *

When he was sixteen and she was twelve, she would always ask him what high school was like and he would always answer her tireless questions. It was the least he could do now that their time together was limited due to after school kendo practice and his new girlfriend. They still saw each other on random evenings and most often on weekends, but they were growing up and there were more things competing for their attention. For now, he was happy to satisfy her curiosity and give her something to look forward to when it was time for her to enroll in high school in a few years.

In reality, she asked him questions to hear his voice. It had become deeper in the last couple of years and the sound of it thrilled her in a way she could not describe. He had also grown taller and his near-insatiable appetite helped fill out his gangly limbs while regular kendo practice turned the multitudes of food into muscle. His shaggy blond hair was now cut shorter to keep it out of his eyes when his helmet was on. Of course, this meant he was also attracting the attention of the opposite sex. She could not remember the name of the latest 'clinger', as Kyoko liked to privately call them. Was it Yumi? Rumi? It did not matter. Still, a part of her wished to cling to him in the same way those other girls did. Teetering on the edge of adolescence as she was, she knew she this was impossible.

Instead, she held fast to their friendship and supported him however she could. Her support is what he, in turn, clung to when his mother ended up in the hospital that spring. She gave him distractions when he needed to keep his mind from wandering and she gave him space when he needed time to think. It was her self-assigned mission to do, and be, whatever he needed to help him cope. For that, he was eternally grateful; he told her as much, mumbling it into her shoulder as he hugged her tightly, on the Saturday after his mother was released. She hugged him back and told herself that this was enough.

* * *

At the ages of fourteen and eighteen, respectively, Kyoko and Kuon were in the same school again. It is often said that women mature faster than men and Kyoko's golden eyes shone through her dark bangs with a maturity well beyond her years. She walked with the ease and grace of royalty and it earned her the envy of her female classmates and the admiration of the male ones. And there was an upperclassman—two years above her—who she had unknowingly ensnared.

His name was Shotaro and Kuon did not like him one bit. He knew his type all too well and it ate at him to see how his smooth and superficial words would cause intense blushes to bloom on his best friend's cheeks. But, ultimately, she was happy and that was all he wanted for her. Granted, he could see the heartbreak coming from miles away, nonetheless he recalled all the times she held her tongue as several of his prior relationships inevitably collapsed. He would be there, just like she had been, to help _his Kyoko_ pick up the pieces.

He did not want to think about where his sudden possessiveness came from. It would force him to admit things he rather preferred to ignore. That was not something he needed, or wanted, to occupy his mind with at that time. He was getting ready to graduate and the applications to his top three choices of pre-medical university programs were already sent. With or without him, life was moving forward and he was not about to be held back by undefined feelings towards his best friend.

It happened towards the end of that summer, when he had begun to pack his belongings for his first semester. She nearly slammed the door open as she barged into his room, furious… and crying. Apparently, her beloved 'Sho' had moved on to some other girl but never thought to tell this to Kyoko. Her classmate saw the girl with him in a restaurant and called to find out if the two of them had broken up. When she confronted him about it, he admitted he had "lost interest" but did not know how to end things with her. Kuon hugged her and let her cry until her sobs became stuttered sniffles. She said she threw her milkshake at his head before she stormed off; he wished he could have thrown his fist instead.

They said their goodbyes on the day he left to go to university. She put on her bravest smile and wished him luck with a warm hug. Pushing a stray hair behind her ear, his hand lingered on her face a bit too long. He shoved it quickly into his pocket and bid her one last farewell before boarding the train. Hopefully, time and distance would put an end to the tumultuous feelings she stirred in him.

* * *

Sixteen-year-old Kyoko fidgeted anxiously on the train. Her mother gave her permission to visit Kuon to celebrate his birthday after she held her position as the top student in her class for the past year. He would be turning twenty the following day and she wanted to be there to celebrate this milestone with him. This was the first time she would get to visit him at his apartment near the university as he came home fairly often during breaks due to his mother's semi-frequent hospital visits. She was exhilarated, but she also felt a bit nauseous.

He had been with his current girlfriend the longest out of any other. They met in their first year through mutual friends and there was an instant connection. There had never been a girl he was too nervous to ask out until this one. When he finally did, he thought it was one of the best decisions he ever made in his life. She was compassionate and supportive whenever he had to make the trip home. He told Kyoko all about her and was excited for the two of them to meet as he was certain they would get along well.

She wanted so badly to hate his girlfriend but she was wholly unable to do so. If there was a flaw somewhere, she could not find it. This girl was sweet and gentle and she could not help but like her. After his birthday dinner ended, they laughed together and shared embarrassing stories about Kuon until the wee hours of the morning. Kyoko was forced to admit that she was perfect for him and his brilliant smile whenever she was around was clear evidence of that fact. She was honestly pleased at the happiness he had found. Still, it hurt her heart to see the two of them go to sleep together.

Pulling the blanket over her head to hide the silent tears that rolled down her face, she shifted into a more comfortable position on the sofa and fell asleep. The morning could not come fast enough for her and she was eager to return home. It was time to start moving forward with her own life and those university brochures on the desk in her room were only collecting dust if she was not going to look at them.

* * *

At twenty-two, he was a premium candidate for all of the top medical schools in the country and was carefully weighing his options as he completed his final semester. And, at eighteen, she had her pick of any university that she wanted but chose a smaller, well-reputed one that was a little over an hour's train ride from home. Wanting to travel and spend her last semester abroad, Kuon and his girlfriend amicably ended their nearly four-year relationship after realizing they both wanted different things that the other could not accommodate. Kyoko's on-again, off-again relationship with her boyfriend was off; most likely for good this time. The two friends now had bright futures ahead of them and endless possibilities.

The fluctuating temperatures of spring proved to be too much for Kuon's mother's weakened body to handle and she succumbed to her lengthy illness in late March. Kyoko immediately came home when she heard and decided to make the long commute by train each day so she could help his family with the preparations but still attend her classes; bargaining with a few professors to allow her to skip class while still completing her assignments. She had been like a second mother to her so, as far as she was concerned, this was a family emergency. While her education was very important to her, she knew someone who needed her much more than her professors did and he was curled up on the floor of his old room, not speaking to anyone.

Kuon stretched out his legs in the moonlit darkness as he awoke from sleeping on the floor. He must have cried himself into exhaustion and passed out without realizing. There, on the floor next to him, was a folded piece of paper weighed down by a familiar blue stone. It had been a long time since they communicated in this manner and yet she always seemed to know when to be beside him and when he needed to be left alone. Slipping the stone into his pocket, he unfolded the paper and read:

 _I've found the best place to get some fresh air at night is at the top of the jungle gym at the park. I'll be waiting._

 _~ Kyoko_

He found her right where she said she would be. The moon illuminating her now short, black hair like a veil of starlight. She never said how long she had waited for him but the chill he felt on her skin when he hugged her told him it was long enough. They did not talk about his mother that night as there would be time enough for that during the memorial the next day. Instead, they talked of old memories and new experiences. When the talking stopped, they sat side-by-side in comfortable silence, admiring the stars above them.

It was nice to finally get a small chuckle out of him when she made the joke about being the one to walk _him_ home at night. The smile quickly faded when they reached his front door and his mood darkened considerably. This house would be short one inhabitant as they would never be returning home again. Seeing his sudden grimace, she pulled him to her in a solid embrace, flattening her hands against his back and rubbing them in a soothing pattern as he wept.

Pulling away with a deep breath, his green eyes stared questioningly into her gold ones; their faces only inches apart. To him, she was his rock, his cheerleader, his comedian, his advisor and one of the strongest women he ever had the honor of knowing. To her, he was her frustration, her determination, her passion, her joy and the one man she knew would do anything in his power to protect her. And so the distance between them closed and their lips met; a warm contrast to the chilly night air. They kissed for grief, hope, and most of all, love. She stayed in his room that night and he clung to her in his sleep, just as she wished he would all those years ago; the occasional whimper escaping his lips as the nightmares poured desolate visions into his mind.

Kyoko held his hand throughout the memorial the following day and let him rest his head on her shoulder when he could not bear to keep it upright any longer. When the last of the visitors left the house, he loosened his tie and sat down next to her on the couch, emotionally and physically exhausted. Gently patting his arm, she kissed his cheek and got up to leave when he reached out and grabbed her by the hand and asked her to stay. Not physically, but to stay by his side for as long as she was willing, to love him as more than just a friend and he would do the same for her. She smiled gently at him and told him she was already doing just that.

He took her to the train station when it was time to return to campus. There were no goodbyes to be said at this particular juncture. Rather, she kissed him soundly and told him she would call when she got to her dorm safely. He grinned at her retreating figure as she boarded the train.

* * *

When he was twenty-seven and she was twenty-three, they vowed, before their closest friends and family, to love each other for the rest of their lives. And they did.

THE END

* * *

 **WHY I AM PROCRASTINATING ON MY OTHER STORY: So this came to me as I was driving home after running a bunch of errands Monday afternoon and it refused to leave me alone. I had no choice but to type it out and I realized I really liked it so I decided to share it with all of you! It was one of my first attempts at a story with no dialogue. I'll get back to working on my actual story now that this silly diversion has finally stopped following me around.**

 **AUTHOR OUT**


	4. In Another Life

**In Another Life**

He woke with a start at three o'clock that morning. It was happening more often now that he kept having those dreams. To be accurate, they were less like dreams and more of a recurrence of snippets of scenes involving the same two people. They almost seemed to be memories as they felt too detailed, too intimate to be anything else but, while some of them seemed to occur in a similar chronology, others seemed to be of a completely different time and circumstance. Understandably, this was quite fascinating, but the part that created the most unease in his mind, the part that had him waking in the early hours of the morning in a cold sweat was that one of those two people was him and the other was… her.

She had a different name than the ones he called her in his dreams. Then again, so did he, but he always knew it was her. She could change her hair, her eyes, and even the way she walked and he would always know it was her. His recent bout of nightly visions were beginning to convince him that they were somehow drawn to each other by some invisible tether of fate. If they really were memories of different times and places then did that mean they were always destined to meet?

Her smile seemed so radiant when he would see it in his sleep that he wondered what it would look like on her real-life counterpart in his waking hours. The woman he knew of rarely ever smiled; not that he saw her all that often. Then again, these were not times in which smiles would be prevalent. Smiling in times of war took a remarkable strength of will; one he knew for sure he did not have.

He knew about her long before they officially met. Being the youngest decorated Commander still in active duty made her something of a celebrity. She was a force to be reckoned with both on and off the battlefield. The dreams had not started by that point and he only had a passing curiosity about her when he was accepted into the Officer program. It was not until they wound up sheltering together in a long-abandoned farm shed during a mission that the restless nights began.

They were not alone, of course. Several others had retreated to the same location and they all set up camp as quietly as possible, keeping an ear out for the muted mechanical whirring of their extraterrestrial enemies. She was civil enough to everyone and kept mostly to herself but, on occasion, he would catch her looking at him with the oddest expression. It was almost as if she had forgotten something very important and was wracking her brain to remember what it was. Then, she would look away abruptly and go back to cleaning her blades or organizing the ammunition in her pack.

His fellow squad members shared excited whispers over her late at night. Understandably so as her beauty was rivaled only by her skill. They all knew better than to try approaching her as anything other than a fellow soldier as there were enough stories of the many men who were shut down with ruthless precision. Most blamed her consummate professionalism as the reason why she never took on a lover—despite the fraternization regulations, it was not uncommon—but there were also rumors of past heartbreak. None of that mattered to him, however. All he wanted to do was complete the mission successfully and return to base where he could have a hot shower, a real bed, and some decent food.

When he did return, having a real bed did not do him much good as he barely slept in it. Somehow, being in close proximity to her must have triggered the dreams. And he had not had a good night's sleep since. Today was just like every other day since then.

He hauled himself out of his bed, knowing it would be impossible to get any more sleep. Instead, he decided to physically exert himself into tiredness to see if that would work. Throwing on workout gear, he grabbed his keys and ran out the door and jogged at a steady pace towards the training center. The light being on in the practice room at such an early hour should have tipped him off that he was not alone but he nearly jumped out of his skin when he walked through the door only to see _her_ in the far corner of the room.

She stopped toweling at the sweat around her neck when she saw him enter. He froze for a moment before mumbling a brief greeting and shrugging off his jacket. Absorbed in his own warm-up stretching, he never noticed her approach him silently until her hand shot forward to grab at the tags hanging from his neck.

"So that's what you're calling yourself this time around," she smirked letting the tags drop to his chest after she examined them.

"What?" he looked down at her quizzically, keenly aware of their difference in height for the first time. She always seemed larger than life until she was right next to him.

"I knew it was you," she said with a nod. "You've been having them too, haven't you?"

"Been having what?" he narrowed his eyes at her in confusion.

"The dreams," she looked at him pointedly and he found he was having difficulty averting his gaze from hers.

"… Yes," he gave in with a sigh.

"You must be the one who has the stone this time," the young Commander raised an eyebrow at him. "Since it seems you barely know anything."

"Stone?"

"I'm sure it won't be long now," she assured in a patronizing tone and rolled her eyes. "Come find me when you know about the stone, Major."

With that, she swept out of the room while he stared, dumbfounded, after her. He was still frozen mid-stretch as his mind whirled, trying to process what had just occurred. She knew about him and she knew about the dreams. In fact, she seemed to know a lot more about this than he did. But, for some reason, all she left him with was some cryptic instruction about a stone. He made a disgruntled noise in the general direction of the door through which she left and went back to stretching.

* * *

It was not until a full week later that he had any dreams regarding a stone. The majority of his dreams were scenes of arguments and misunderstandings. It seemed as if they did not know each other well yet and sometimes she hated him, sometimes he, her and, sometimes, they both hated each other. Often, they would say things to the other that they did not mean. And, just when he was starting to tire of the melodrama every night, he dreamt of a blue stone with chipped edges that would turn amber when held at just the right angle in the light. The stone, somehow, seemed to facilitate a marked improvement. Nothing was completely fixed, but it was better; they argued less and communicated more.

He woke with a pained groan. She was correct in her assumption that he was in possession of the stone. He had found that exact stone as a child playing by a river near his house. It was clearly different from all the other river rocks he normally saw that he immediately gravitated towards it. He called it his 'thinking stone' and would hold on to it whenever he felt he needed to seriously think something over; a habit he never really outgrew as he aged. As such, the stone was sitting in a small box on the shelf in his room, along with a few other mementos he kept with him.

Another week went by until he decided to make contact with her again. He wanted to see more memories—and they _were_ memories, he knew that now. The other incarnations of himself apparently had similar dreams. There were now a myriad of questions in his brain waiting to be answered. Why were they somehow destined to keep meeting? What was the endgame for all of this? Surely, there must be a reason as to why they both have memories of each other, of their other lives. Either that, or the universe was playing a rather cruel joke on the both of them.

The next early morning, he returned to the training center to find her. She was exactly where she said she would be. The side of her mouth quirked when she saw him enter and look directly at her.

"You know about the stone now, don't you?"

"Yes," he pulled it from the pocket of his shorts and closed it tightly into his fist. "I also have questions."

"I'm sure you do," she folded her arms. "That doesn't mean I have all the answers for you."

"Then why did you tell me to come back when I knew about this?" he held up the stone, it blinked at her in blue and amber in the light.

"Because, I already saw the memories of what we're like before the stone. I figured it best to cut through the crap until we could have a logical conversation."

"What are we supposed to do with this thing anyway?" he eyed it dubiously. "Is there something magical about it in any way?"

"I honestly don't know," she conceded, her voice softening. "All I can tell from my dreams is that whoever has it is usually the one who has the least memory of what has happened. I think it's meant to be a trigger mechanic of some sort."

"How?"

"Well, think about it," she pondered openly. "You probably thought I was a lunatic for accusing you out of the blue of having those dreams, even though it was true, right?"

"I was thrown off by it, yes," he admitted.

"But once you found out about the stone I mentioned to you, it all made sense—well, as much as this whole thing _can_ make sense, at least."

"So it's some sort of proof that we have a random connection?"

"I suppose so," she shrugged.

"What's the point to all this?" he sighed in frustration. "This is clearly not the first time and I doubt it will be the last. Why do we keep getting thrown together?"

She snorted derisively, "The Fates apparently thinks we're meant for each other."

"As in… we're supposed to be soulmates or something?" he scratched his head in confusion.

"Yea, isn't that a hoot?" she laughed ruefully for a second. "Didn't your memories tell you we've got this whole unrequited love thing going on?"

He considered her question for a moment before answering, "I do recall something like that, but how does that apply to the present? I can't love you. I barely know you."

"Hey, the feeling's mutual, Major" she held up her hands in mock surrender. "Let's just be war buddies this time around and, maybe, the next versions of ourselves can get it right."

"Works for me," he said with a lopsided smile. "I guess that's it then."

"Yea, see you around," she nodded and offered her hand, which he shook awkwardly. "And watch your back out there. I've see you fight and you're pretty good, but you keep leaving your side open."

"I'll take it under advisement, Commander." he smirked and she rolled her eyes before turning to leave the room.

Months went by and they would share the occasional acknowledging nod when they saw one another until he was sent out on another mission. This one seemed to drag on endlessly, filled with minor skirmishes that only advanced them so far before they had to retreat again. He was exhausted and the weariness ran deep into his bones as he trudged from his last reconnaissance post to the next rendezvous along a tree line surrounding an open field, just out of sight of the enemy sentries patrolling there. Noticing out of the corner of his eye that they seemed to be interested in something in the distance, he turned to look fully at what was going on. Eight of them had circled around an individual who stood with two gleaming blades pointed at them, their back flush against the remains of a sentry they took out earlier.

The voice behind the loud battle cry he heard was unmistakeable to him and his stomach dropped in fear and recognition. His rifle was suddenly unslung from his shoulder as he ran towards her. He managed to take two of them out from a distance before getting closer and unsheathing his own sword. A robotic claw managed to grab her by the midsection and hoist her off the ground, her helmet fell off her head and her face was twisted in pain. She struggled against the restraint and slashed at the front of the machine with her swords. Dodging one of the sentries that turned to rush him after his bullets took down two of its comrades, he closed in on the outstretched claw and managed to lop it off in one blow.

He faced off alone against the remaining sentries while she wriggled out of the now-detached claw. Finally free of its grasp, she doubled over at the sharp pain in her torso. However, now was not the time to lick her wounds. She heaved herself up to a standing position, ready to face her foes again.

Luring them away from her so she had time to free herself, he continued to try increasing the distance between himself and their attackers. There were still four of them left and he was rapidly running out of steam as his adrenaline could only push him so far. Dodging to one side, he went on the offensive and managed to severely cripple one of them before realizing another approaching from the side. Unable to block he was about to accept his fate when she stepped in between them to fend it off. Concentrating back on his own opponent, an appendage lashed out at him, cutting deeply into his side. He managed to remain standing until it successfully attacked again and bit into his upper thigh, severing the artery there. Down, but not out, he grabbed at where his rifle fell and managed to shoot one in the eyestalk, taking it out for good. He got the one he had slowed down earlier as well before the rifle was knocked out of his hands.

He saw her covered in gashes, one arm was clearly broken and hanging limply at her side, only the other one still held a blade. Admirably enough, she had weakened it considerably. All of its ranged weapons were damaged and inoperable and it was barely standing on its remaining legs. They charged each other in one final attack. They both fell to the ground; the sentry sparked and fizzled sporadically before it went silent and she lay on her back coughing as blood seeped from a large wound in her torso.

She turned to look at him when she noticed he was prone and dragging himself along the charred grass, dirt and rubble towards her. He activated a distress beacon when he ran to help her but he knew there was no way anyone would reach them before it was too late. As he got closer, he could hear the rasping of each shaky inhale she took. The feeling in his leg had long since disappeared and his vision was blurring, yet he still fought to keep his eyes open.

"Maybe next time… you won't leave your side open," she said between labored breaths.

"Maybe next time you won't take on eight sentries by yourself," he paused in his advance to take a brief rest.

"No one ordered you to help me."

"No one ordered me not to," he continued to inch closer to her.

"This is… where it ends for us, huh?" her lighthearted tone suddenly turned somber.

When he reached her side, he slowly turned over on his back and looked up at the sky, "Seems like it."

"Well, Major… it's been a pleasure."

"Likewise, Commander," he could no longer hold his drooping eyelids open and let them fall closed, then briefly snapped them back open when he felt her hand on his.

Her body was wracked with a bout of coughs that sounded terrifyingly liquid to him. He flipped his hand over to cup around hers as he felt tremors reach the tips of her fingers. His grip on consciousness was rapidly failing and he felt the inevitable pull into the darkness that awaited him. He barely heard her one last time; it was not quite a whisper, not quite a mumble, but he managed to hear it all the same.

"See you next lifetime."

* * *

Ren lurched forward from his pillow with a start. He ran a hand errantly through his hair, as if to clear the fogginess of sleep from his mind. Getting back to sleep after a dream such as that would be no easy task, so he got up from his bed and wandered to the kitchen. After pouring himself a glass of water, he stood by the living room window and stared blankly out at the city below him, his brow furrowed as he thought about the woman in his dream.

In another part of the city, Kyoko—roused from a fitful sleep by her own nightmare—held the small blue stone in her hand, her thumb rubbing small circles along the smooth side as she murmured quiet reassurances to herself. Her other hand held her phone as she squinted at the time on the bright screen; three o'clock in the morning.

* * *

 **ON THE RUN FROM RESPONSIBILITIES: So, I had this story mostly written in my archived files and decided to take a break and clean it up today. I figured it was the least I could do since I don't have an update for _Fates Interwoven_ yet. I do still plan to have a new chapter for that story by next week but here is something different in the meantime. It was sad and kinda heartbreaking to write so I held off on publishing it but I still like the story overall. Hopefully you all appreciate it as well.**

 **I should get going before my responsibilities find out where I've been hiding.**

 **AUTHOR OUT!**


	5. Flights of Fancy

FLIGHTS OF FANCY

He came back to his apartment to find her stalking around the living room wrapped in his bathrobe, it swamped her tiny frame and dragged along the ground. A ladle was held authoritatively in her hand and… what was that on her head? It looked like she twisted a long scarf into a circular loop and set it jauntily atop her chestnut hair. It was not until she began to speak that he figured out what she was doing.

"Our kingdom is under threat from the neighboring lands to the North." she spoke confidently, tapping the utensil she held to her raised chin as she continued to pace around the room. "I have gathered you all here as my advisors to decide what the best course of action should be. I am relying on your expertise and talents to either keep our people out of a war or support me in battle. Now, what say you?"

"The treaties with the lands in the South and West still hold strong, your Majesty," Ren stepped forward from the door as he spoke. "Should we choose to go to war, I believe they will fully support us."

Kyoko let out a tiny yelp of surprise when she heard him but did her best to maintain her dignity despite the robe and makeshift crown she currently wore.

He smiled warmly at her before doubling over in a deep bow, sweeping an arm gracefully in front of him, "Apologies, my Queen, if I have spoken out of turn."

Raising her chin once more, she looked at him haughtily, "I will take all of your advisements under consideration. For now, you are dismissed. We shall reconvene later once my Information Officer compiles her intelligence report."

Pulling the scarf from her head, she placed it with the ladle on the end table near her before sprinting towards the man standing across from her and throwing her arms around his waist. His jacket smelled like the crisp winter evening from which he just walked in. She took a deep breath of it through her nose, trying to find where his own unique scent mingled in with it; unfortunately, it caused her to start coughing. He returned the embrace and softly patted her back before gently pulling away to look at her.

"I thought you were supposed to be resting in bed," he scolded her lightly, his eyes full of mirth.

"I was _bored_ ," she whined. "It's just a tiny cold anyway. I don't see why you're keeping me under house arrest. I could have recovered just as easily at my own apartment."

"Is there something wrong with wanting to take care of the woman I love?" the tall actor pouted.

"Oh, yes, because you are _so_ well versed in caring for the sick," she rolled her eyes, but smiled all the same. "Need I remind you of the last time _you_ got sick?"

"Well, at the very least, I owed you for that one."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, babe," she patted him patronizingly on his chest.

"Babe?" he raised an eyebrow at her curiously.

"You call me strange pet names all the time," she cautioned. "Don't judge me."

"If there was anything I'd judge you for, it would be coming home to find the Monarch of Bathrobe parading around my living room while she meets with her council," he said with a chuckle.

"The proper title is Queen Enalosius of Veressia," she punched him lightly on the arm in retaliation. "And don't you forget it!"

"In that case, I hope _your Highness_ will be satisfied with the meager dinner offerings I have brought."

She leaned to one side to look behind him and spotted the takeout bags resting on the floor near the entrance. It was only then that she recognized the tantalizing scent that wafted from them to where she stood. A wide grin formed on her face which he returned and kissed her lightly on the forehead before turning around to pick up the bags and take them to the dining table. Following quickly behind him, she gathered the bottom of the robe in her hands to keep from tripping over it.

A high-pitched sound of pure delight escaped her mouth as she opened the larger of the two containers he placed before her and saw the pristine fried egg and hamburger that lay within. She waited impatiently for him to settle down with his own, smaller container of food before digging in to hers. Her sigh of rapture as she enjoyed her meal amused her dining companion greatly. He shook his head with a smile as she shot him a reproachful look.

He managed to get her to sit quietly on the couch while he cleaned up after their meal. That was where he joined her once he finished, pulling her into his lap as she curled up against him. She nestled her head against his shoulder and he rested his chin on to top of her head.

"So, tell me all about Queen… Enalosius, was it?"

"You remembered!" She giggled, but indulged him, "She is a fair and just Queen. Her people love her not only for her beauty but her compassion as well. Veressia has been an exceedingly prosperous country under her rule. Their main exports are ceramics and stonework as there are a number of highly-skilled craftsmen living there," she explained seriously. "But they are not just a country full of talented artisans. There is also a very well trained and disciplined military."

"I see," he murmured with interest. "And does this beautiful Queen have a consort or is she the type to keep a harem?"

Kyoko scoffed loudly at this, "Of course not! Enalosius was content to rule alone without any romantic entanglements… at least until she met the new Captain of her guard."

"Uh oh," he chimed in. "What happened then?"

"She was taken in by his kindness, you see," she continued. "Granted he was tall and outrageously handsome but it was the person she saw on the inside that really swayed her heart. He seemed to be quite enamored by her as well and he tried to hide it despite the teasing of his subordinates."

He nuzzled his face into her hair, "What _ever_ will become of their ill-fated love? Surely a guard and a queen could never work out."

"You seem to forget that she is the ruler of the entire country and she and do whatever she wishes," Kyoko paused to yawn. "She would be the only one holding herself back from what she truly desired."

He smiled at the tiny woman in his arms and noticed how tired she was starting to sound, "Would you like this humble servant to take you to your bedchambers, Majesty? Or should I have one of my guards escort you?"

She looked up at him with a lazy grin and curled her hands into the front of his shirt, "You're already here, are you not? Additionally, you will stay by my side the entire night. That is an order, Captain."

"As you wish, my Queen," he kissed her tenderly before lifting her from the couch and carrying her to his room.

\- END -

* * *

 **BECAUSE EVERYONE LOVES KYOKO'S OVERACTIVE IMAGINATION: This silly scenario popped into my head one day and made me giggle to the point that I had to turn it into a small story. It was so fluffy and sweet, I needed a glass of water afterwards. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!**

 **I am considering a follow-up to the oneshot before this one but haven't decided where I want to go with it and the few ideas I came up with were a little too angsty so they were scrapped. Oh well, I'll see you all again soon with one story or another!**

 **AUTHOR OUT!**


	6. Quality Time

~ **QUALITY TIME** ~

Awake before her alarm ever sounded, Kyoko dressed eagerly for the day. She waited anxiously for this day all week from the time it was first arranged. The excitement was too much to bear and resulted in her getting only about four hours of sleep the night before. Not that she needed it, she was running on pure elation that was not about to deplete any time soon. Bidding her landlords a cheerful goodbye, she all but skipped out the door and down the street into the city.

Upon reaching her destination, she developed a sudden case of nerves. Staring down the door in front of her, she gave herself a mental pep talk before reaching up to knock. There was silence on the other side of the door for a few moments. and she wondered if she was too quiet. Reaching her hand up to knock again, it froze when the door abruptly opened to reveal a smiling man on the other side. He stepped aside and gestured for her to enter; she grinned and walked in, letting the door close behind them.

"So, I only heard the big news from Lory but he didn't tell me the details," he motioned for her to join him on the sofa. "I want to hear everything about the audition."

As she recounted the events for him, he frowned in disappointment at the reactions of the director and the others but smiled proudly at how she took it all in stride and pushed ahead. By the end of her tale, he was practically beaming.

"It's incredible and some days I wake up and wonder if it was all a dream," Kyoko confessed. "Especially now that you're here. I couldn't believe it when I found out."

"Well, short of your debut, this is a fairly big deal for you. I was not about to miss out on congratulating you."

"Thanks," she blushed slightly at his words. "I know you have so many other things to do, it means a lot to me that you wanted to spend today with me."

"It's a pleasure for me as well," he smiled tenderly. "Now, what do you think we should do with our father-daughter day?"

Hizuri Kuu could not have been a prouder parent when he heard the news from President Takarada about Kyoko nailing the audition for Momiji. Having worked with one Morizumi in the past, he knew of their family's notoriety for nepotism. Learning that his self-proclaimed 'adopted child' succeeded in breaking through that to secure a contested role produced a smile so wide, even his wife was slightly unnerved by it. The urge to visit her and give his congratulations in person was too strong given the fact that he had to travel to Seoul that week as it was. A short layover was most definitely in order.

"Well, I've never really done this sort of thing before," Kyoko thought carefully.

"If you could do whatever you wanted to celebrate, what would you do?" Kuu prompted her. "We can do anything and everything you want today."

"In that case," she paused for a beat, her finger tapping lightly against her chin. "I want to have dessert for breakfast."

"Your wish is my command, princess!" he beamed.

"Princess?!"

"I just told you we're going to do what _you_ want so, for today, you are a princess."

Kyoko's imagination went into overdrive at his words as she saw herself in delicate shoes, gossamer gowns and gilded crowns. A giggle riddled with giddiness escaped from her lips. Her, a princess!

They found themselves in an upscale pastry shop and cafe where they ordered one of everything from the menu. None of it went to waste, of course, thanks to a certain actor's exceedingly healthy appetite. Kyoko tried to help where she could, but he encouraged her to focus on enjoying the items she liked the best. Kuu shrugged off her excessive thanks and gently reminded her that it was her day.

It took no small amount of coaxing for him to purchase a gift for her. Despite clearly stating that she only wished to window shop, she was unceremoniously dragged into a jewelry store when he saw her eyes light up at the sight of the elegant charm bracelets in the display case. Handing over his credit card with strict instructions to not announce the final total, he helped her pick out—or more accurately he made selections while she nodded, dumbfounded at them— a bracelet and three charms to represent her current and past roles; a crescent moon for Mio, a bottle of nail polish for Natsu and a kunai for Momiji. Tearing up at his overly generous gift, she let him clasp the piece around her wrist and mumbled her gratitude.

Still reeling from the jewelry store visit, she suggested they do something more low-key and they went to the theater to watch the latest American blockbuster. Kuu mentioned it had a princess character in it but, to her, it looked like an action movie. Two-and-a-half hours later, she emerged from the theater with glittering eyes of admiration. They talked at length about what they both enjoyed about the film on the way back to his hotel, stopping en route to pick up a large volume of groceries since Kyoko wanted them to make dinner together as they had during the previous time he was in the country.

"The only part I don't understand is what did love have to do with her being able to save everyone?" their conversation continued as they worked side-by-side in the kitchen. "If she was already so powerful, I don't see how that was supposed to help her."

"Because love can sometimes be the only thing left to give someone strength when their own will has failed," the veteran actor explained. "It is a very powerful emotion in its own right."

"Yeah, powerfully dangerous," Kyoko muttered darkly.

His knife hovered in midair above the cutting board at her remark before he slowly placed it on the counter and turned to look at her.

"I don't know who put that notion in your head and I probably do not want to ever meet them because of the bodily harm I would wish to inflict on them for ever causing you to have this kind of reaction," he shook his head sadly. "You deserve to love, and be loved by, someone who not only makes you happy, but makes you stronger."

"But love only makes you weak," she protested.

"That, Kyoko, is where you are very wrong," he said sternly. "Loving someone, _truly_ loving someone, does not make you weak. It means you support each other through the good and the bad. It means you encourage each other to grow and you become a whole greater than the sum of your parts. However," he added in a cautionary tone. "it does not _define_ you. It simply enhances you."

"I don't know if any of that is possible for someone like me," Kyoko stared numbly at the bowl in front of her.

"It can be if only you allow it," Kuu softly placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I-I suppose," her thoughts turned to one person in particular when remembering the words 'support' and 'encourage,' a light dusting of pink scattered across her cheeks and did not go unnoticed by the man standing next to her.

"Oh my!" he exclaimed in English. "Could it be that despite your mistrust of love, you have developed feelings for someone?"

"What?! I don't—" the pink on her face became a deep crimson.

"Are they a fellow actor? Have they asked you out yet? They better not have done so without asking me for permission first," he rambled obsessively. "I need to know what their intentions are so I can give my approval."

She held up a hand to stop him, her eyes pleading, "There is someone who I… admire, but that is all. We did not start out on the right foot when we first met but, gradually, we have come to mutually respect each other. Nonetheless, I don't believe anything more will develop from it."

The older actor smirked and arched his brow at her before resuming his work at the cutting board. There had been enough conversations with LME's president for him to figure out exactly to whom she was referring. What were the odds? He knew Julie was going to thoroughly enjoy hearing this juicy little tidbit.

"Nothing more will develop because you haven't yet decided you want it to," he glanced sideways at her. "But, I have said my piece and will say no more about it. Just make sure you at least introduce them to me before you get engaged."

She rolled her eyes at this and shook her head in disbelief, "Sure, if you say so."

He actually did let the matter rest and they finished preparing their sizable dinner. Once they had eaten and the table was cleared, Kyoko came to the sad realization that their day was nearly over. Reluctant to leave, she listlessly idled around the kitchen. Noticing her visible distress, Kuu pulled her into a tight embrace and voiced his congratulations to her one final time.

"So, what did you think of our quality father-daughter time together today?" he smiled softly at her. "Did you have fun?"

"I have no previous experiences to judge it against," she frowned in concentration, then smiled. "But I know that I'm very lucky to have had this time with you. Thank you for treating me to an unforgettable day of being a princess."

He ruffled her hair and laughed, "Maybe, next time, you'll come visit me like I said you could the last time I was here. Then, you can be a princess in a foreign kingdom. How does that sound?"

Her eyes sparkled with awe and excitement and she threw her arms around him in a tight hug. While he would never classify her as a surrogate for his actual child, Kuu could not deny that this day was also a pleasant way to fill the void his departure created. In his eyes, Kyoko is very much her own person and one that he looks forward to watching come into her own as both an actor and an adult. Now, if he could just have a quick chat with Lory about why he is taking so long about hooking her up with his son…

-END-

 **HAPPY FATHER'S DAY: to any and all you call or consider to be a father. I know Kuu is often portrayed as the bunny ears lawyer with a bottomless stomach but I honestly love the parent-child dynamic he has with Kyoko because they are so adorable together. This was actually started weeks ago (because I really wanted a cutesy father-daughter story) but I realized, if I could finish it in time for today, it would be an appropriate story to post on Father's day. I dedicate this to my own Dad who has always let me be the strong, capable princess he knew I could be. Thanks for everything!**

 **AUTHOR OUT!**

 **Sidenote: I finally got around to watching Yuri! On Ice the other day and all I want to do now is make Ren and Kyoko watch it while pointing enthusiastically at the screen screaming, "Why can't you two be like this?!" I am strange... and I accept that.**


	7. Love Can Mend Your Life

**Love Can Mend your Life**

Kyoko's fingers idly traced the design delicately carved along the bottle's surface for the millionth time. Shallow grooves curved and swirled around the neck interspersed by flowers with long, spiky petals in a color that mirrored the stone she often carried with her. It was a masterpiece in glass sitting before her on the small table in her room. The indigo colored stopper was carved into a large bloom that matched its counterparts along the side of the bottle itself. A giddy smile found its way to her lips every time she touched it.

Despite having securely convinced herself (or so she claimed) that she had no reason to expect a return gift for White Day, it was difficult to quell the disappointment in her heart when she eventually brought her other gifts home and placed them in her room. Her eyes would drift over to the ornate vase on her dresser that held the now-dried rose she received on her birthday and a twinge would develop in her chest. She had no right to demand anything from him and she was resolute that the gift she gave in February was, in no way, required to be reciprocated. That was her story and she was sticking to it.

However, much like he ambushed her out of the blue with the rose, she was equally blindsided by the White Day gift upon his return once filming officially ended in Guam. Having requested a time to meet, Ren found her sitting on the back step of the restaurant late one night after the last patrons had bid their farewells. She invited him inside and settled them both at a table with tea. A curious look formed on her face when he produced a small, oblong package carefully wrapped in tissue paper from his jacket.

"It's my return gift," he said simply, but accompanied it with a quick hand motion to suspend her protest. "I know you think it wasn't necessary for me to give you anything but I did this because I wanted to. I hope you will accept it."

She swallowed her objection and dumbly nodded instead, "Thank you, Tsuruga-san."

He pushed the bundle across the table towards her and encouraged her to open it. Tentative fingers reached out to gently free the contents from their wrappings. When she touched something cold and smooth, she pulled the remaining paper away and gasped at the sight of what lay within. So in awe was she of the bottle itself, she almost missed what it contained.

"Is that… star sand?" she asked, noticing it was three-quarters full of the granular substance.

"I sort of stole some from the beach when I went back to Guam," he rubbed at the back of his neck with a tiny, sheepish grin. "I realized you probably didn't have anything to remember your first trip overseas by since, technically, it was Setsuka Heel that was there and not you so anything you brought back could potentially expose the secret. This way, it's not obvious and you can explain it was a gift from a friend, should anyone ask."

"This is beautiful and very thoughtful of you," she smiled at how much consideration he put into it. "I actually brought back a tiny bit of sand as well for the same reason so I will have to add it to this."

Ren laughed a little at this, "I guess that makes us partners in crime; pilfering sand from international beaches."

"I guess so," a giggle bubbled to her lips and they regarded each other with soft, mirthful eyes and lingered there for a lengthy moment before he cleared his throat abruptly.

"I wish I had more time to stay and hear all about your audition but I have an early start tomorrow and I shouldn't keep you up too late," he lied smoothly; he had returned early enough that his schedule was clear for the following day. "But, seeing as it's over a month past White Day, I couldn't neglect giving you this any longer."

"Oh, the timing wouldn't have mattered," Kyoko dismissed with a wave of her hand. "It is always said that the thought is what counts most anyway, right?"

"Well, it mattered to me at least," he was reminded of the way he morosely watched as she flitted about giving out chocolates on Valentines Day. "I appreciate you being so understanding."

With that, he rose from his seat and she joined him, escorting him back outside. While she was sad that he was leaving already, it made her happy to know that he wished to see her so soon after coming back to give her gift in person when he easily could have waited until they crossed paths again. Fanciful images filled her mind of a soldier coming home from battle only to rush into the arms of his beloved and she fought back the heat rising to her cheeks. She watched him turn to her and open his mouth, then quickly snap it shut as if he reconsidered what he was about to say. Instead, he smiled warmly and bowed.

"Goodnight, Mogami-san. I hope we can get together again soon to catch up."

"I hope so as well," her own smile was wistful. "And thank you, again, for the wonderful gift."

He left with a wave and a nod and she gave a soft, lovesick sigh as she closed the door. She rested her head against it for a moment and shut her eyes tightly, pursing lips in a slight grimace as she waited for the ache in her heart to subside. Turning back to the dining area, she folded the tissue paper for safekeeping and gently brought it and the bottle upstairs to her room. The bottle was placed by her bedside and she watched it with a smile as she drifted to sleep.

* * *

The following evening, she pulled the bag with the small amount of sand she collected during her trip from a dresser drawer and set it on the table alongside the bottle. She tapped the glass base firmly against her palm to pack the grains more tightly and make as much room as possible to add her portion. As the sand shifted within, she noticed something small and circular poking out above the surface. At first, she thought it was a shell but, as more of it was revealed with each subsequent tap, it looked to be a rolled-up bit of paper.

Tearing a sheet from one of her notebooks, she carefully emptied the contents of the bottle onto it. She pushed a finger into the sand, shifting it around until she found the small scroll. The stubborn grains that clung to it were delicately brushed off and she unrolled it to see if it contained a message. Her eyes met with a very neatly written note in a script that looked rather familiar.

 _Dearest Kyoko-chan,_

 _I hope this letter finds you well, wherever you are. You have been on my mind frequently as of our last meeting and I happened to come across an opportunity I was loathe to let pass. You see, I managed to slip this note into the bottle unbeknownst to its carrier as I knew it would soon be making its way to you. How did I know, you may ask? Well, I'm sure the information I was able to glean from your own mind when we met is enough of a clue for you to work out the remaining details._

 _I was actually very happy to have found your 'Tsuruga-san'—as you call him—on the beach this day. Sadly, he could not see me as I could him as I believe we would have been amicable acquaintances. I sense a kindred spirit in him as he also seems to care about you a great deal. Hopefully, you can be a solace and a source of strength for him as well. I could tell he has a number of secrets and sorrows that burden him much like myself. It is my hope that you would listen to him as wholeheartedly as you did for me when he decides to share them with you. You have a remarkable talent for putting anyone at ease._

 _Apologies for the brevity, but I only have so much time and power to do this. Please be happy in all that you do and know that I am, and always have been, on your side._

 _Love,_

 _Corn_

Tears prickled at her eyes as she read and re-read the words. She eventually put the paper down and dabbed at her face with her sleeve. Had Corn picked up on her feelings for Ren when he saw her thoughts? Perhaps he felt he was being polite by not pointing it out after the many other embarrassing things he questioned her about. It sounded to her as if he was voicing his approval. She wondered if he overlooked the fact that Ren had feelings for someone else, or if he never noticed it to begin with. Surely something such as that would not escape his keen senses. Nonetheless, after Corn's frank admission of his dislike for Sho, it gratified her to know that he saw Ren in a more positive light.

Knowing that the gift—and message hidden within—was from a place that held such a precious memory for her made it all the more special, not to mention the person who took extra care to transport such a fragile thing across international waters just to give it to her. She wondered why he picked this particular design, however. Perhaps she was expecting something gilded and studded with roses, considering the theme of the other return gifts she received. She reasoned that he had seen her precious stone before and he probably chose the colors based on something he thought she would like. A fond smile curved her lips; he always seemed to put a lot of thought into anything he gave her. How could she not fall for him?

The landlady entered her room with a knock to ask if she wanted a cup of tea and found Kyoko staring intently at the object on the table. Her head was propped up with her hands cupping her chin as she smiled longingly with dreamy eyes. There was no need fore more than one guess to figure out who had given it to her. That girl always seemed to have the same look on her face when it came to him lately.

"That is a lovely bottle you have there, Kyoko-chan," she said admiringly.

"Thank you," the young woman beamed. "I especially love the flowers but I wish I knew their name. I do not recognize them."

"Oh, my," she chuckled lightly. "You've never seen them before?"

Kyoko shook her head.

"They're called Cornflowers," she pronounced their name slowly in careful English.

With glistening eyes, the brightness of Kyoko's smile quadrupled in intensity.

-END-

 **FROM WIKIPEDIA:** _"In folklore, cornflowers were worn by young men in love; if the flower faded too quickly, it was taken as a sign that the man's love was not returned."_

* * *

 **So, I looked up cornflowers on a whim the other day because I couldn't remember what they looked like and stumbled upon this amazing coincidence (the color, the name, the folklore… I mean, come on!). Also, I've been dying to find out what Ren actually got her in return for White Day and decided to come up with my own scenario.**

 **For those who may be wondering, the title is taken from the lyrics to _Message in a Bottle_ since I neither wanted the title to give away the story, nor be mistaken for that Nicholas Sparks novel. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this little story, even if it was a bit on the absurd side!**

 **AUTHOR OUT**


	8. Tell Me a Story

**TELL ME A STORY**

"Once upon a time, there lived—," the little girl sitting beside her rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically at her words.

"Ugh, don't start with those silly fairy tales again," her face was set in a grimace of disgust. "I want you to tell me a story about _real_ people."

"…Alright."

Kyoko shifted and leaned against the arm of the sofa on which the two of them sat and pulled the girl closer against her side. Once the soft yellow blanket was tucked securely around the child again, the story began anew.

"It was the first day of the Tanabata festival and a young woman, who normally worked in one of the food stalls, was excited to be attending as a patron for the first time in years. Someone she was very fond of had invited her to go with him so they could enjoy the attractions together."

"How horribly cliché," the small girl yawned.

"Oh, hush," Kyoko scolded gently. "Anyway, she dressed in her best yukata—technically, it was the only one she had but it was still her best—and, with her hair pinned up and just a hint of makeup, she was ready to impress and skipped happily to the festival."

"But," her voice lowered slightly and took on a serious tone for the next part. "when she was nearly at their meeting spot, she found him holding another woman. Hiding behind a nearby tree, she overheard them talking and discovered the terrible truth."

"Oh, boy, here we go," her singular audience member deadpanned.

"If you don't have anything nice to say, I will not continue this story," she threatened the girl whose eyes went wide with shock.

"S-sorry. Please finish the story," she begged. "I'll be good, I promise."

"Good, now where were we? Ah, yes…"

* * *

 _"Why did you even invite her here?" the other woman asked impatiently. "I thought you only wanted to be with me."_

 _"I do," he soothed her. "But, I figured she'd help us get some free food from her vendor pals so that I can save my money to buy you something nice from one of the jewelry stalls."_

 _"Oh, you're so sweet!" her voice trilled and irritated the young woman hiding behind the tree to her very core._

 _Having helped out at the festival for many years, she was often offered food by the other stalls in return for her assistance, but the fact that she was being used for such a thing caused an intense pain in her heart; the pain of betrayal. The absurdity of the whole situation caused a cruel laugh to escape from her lips before she emerged from behind the tree, removed her sandal and threw it directly at his head. It hit the target with a sharp, solid tone._

 _"Don't think you'll be getting any such thing from me," her voice was like a poison-tipped arrow, sharp and deadly. "It's a good thing you're wearing such lightweight clothing as I hear Hell is rather warm this time of year. I suggest you there at once and do_ ** _not_** _come back."_

 _With that, she stormed off in the opposite direction of the couple who stood in shock at her words._

* * *

"But, what about her shoe?" a tiny hand clapped over a tinier mouth after realizing they promised to be quiet.

"Well, she very well could not storm off properly wearing only one shoe," Kyoko chuckled. "She retrieved it first and _then_ left. After walking clear across to the other side of the festival, she sat on a bench and told herself that she would _not_ cry over something so foolish. As a strong woman with a warrior's heart, she refused to let it get the best of her. Just then, she heard the sound of a man laughing and turned angrily to find who was mocking her."

* * *

 _The young woman spun around to glare at whoever it was and her eyes met with a tall man in a dark yukata wearing a fox mask. Dark hair framed the concealed face, adding a striking contrast against the mostly white mask._

 _"Do you mind?" she asked, her curiosity as to why he was wearing the mask was replaced by annoyance at his laughter._

 _"That depends," his voice was slightly muffled by the mask as he spoke. "Are you seriously going to sit there and pout like a jilted lover for the rest of the evening?"_

 _"How dare you!" the young woman became indignant. "What I do is of no concern of yours. Do you make it a habit to frequent festivals and insult women who want to be left alone?"_

 _"Only the ones who seem incapable of making the most out of their situation," he scoffed. "I'd bet a tidy sum that you don't even know what to do at a festival by yourself."_

 _"That's what you get for making assumptions," she rose haughtily from her seat. "As for me, I'm going to go enjoy myself,_ ** _alone_** _."_

 _She visited and chatted with several of the vendors she knew and enjoyed the delicious food while looking at the items for sale in the other stalls. The strange, mask-wearing man would periodically cross paths with her as she made her circuit around the festival grounds and she began to actively avoid him until she realized how childish she was behaving and, instead, gave him a small acknowledging nod each time they encountered one another, which he kindly returned. When she later found him struggling to scoop goldfish into the small bowl in his hand, she silently knelt beside him and expertly scooped several into her bowl and handed it to him._

 _"There are always several that are slower than the others. The trick is to go after them," a small, condescending smirk formed on her lips. "Though, I bet that mask isn't doing you any favors."_

* * *

The child giggled at this, "Did they end up becoming friends?"

"You'll find out soon enough if you are patient and listen to the whole story."

Small fingers picked idly at the threads on the blanket as the girl nodded, looking anxiously up at the woman beside her, begging her silently to continue.

* * *

 _He found her after that, trying to win a stuffed swan from a shooting game and managed to get it for her on the first try._

 _"It's easier to see the target when you're taller," he said matter-of-factly with a nonchalant shrug._

 _She narrowed her eyes at him and quickly grabbed the toy from his outstretched hand before leaving in a huff. They continued in this fashion for a couple hours, until they were both laden with random prizes and toys. The time seemed to fly by and they, unknowingly, found themselves walking side-by-side late into the night. Noticing the hour, the young woman stopped in her tracks and gave her erstwhile companion a bow of farewell._

 _"I should be getting home," she explained. "But, I suppose I should thank you for encouraging me to have fun rather than sulk bitterly."_

 _He nodded once in acknowledgement, "Will you be coming back for the remaining days of the festival?"_

 _"That depends," she raised an eyebrow at him. "Will you also be here?"_

 _"Well, I thought we made a pretty good team towards the end there," he crossed his arms in front of him. "I'd be hard-pressed to find someone as skilled at scooping goldfish as you. But, if you wish to be left alone, I promise I won't bother you."_

 _She thought carefully about her answer before replying, "I will come back, I think. Your company wasn't entirely unpleasant… well, after that first part anyway."_

 _He laughed at this, his mask shifting against his face._

 _"However, I have one condition," she paused carefully. "You'll remove that silly mask on the final day when it's time for the fireworks. I can't imagine what you think you're hiding under there, but consider it as recompense for your behavior earlier."_

* * *

"Well, what did he say?" the girl was clearly excited now as she had handfuls of the blanket clutched tightly in her fists.

"He agreed and said she would know where to find him the following evening," Kyoko smiled at her enthusiasm. "She was about to question this when someone bumped into her, causing the items she held to fall to the ground. By the time she had gathered her things once more, the man had disappeared into the crowd."

"Go figure, they always disappear so _mysteriously_ ," her little fingers wiggled back and forth before her face for added effect. "So, what happened next?"

* * *

 _Deciding he most likely meant for her to go to the bench where they originally met, she headed straight for it the following evening and, sure enough, he was there waiting for her. They spent the majority of the next two evenings talking. The young woman talked mostly about herself; about growing up in the small town, about her family, and about the time she spent working during the previous years' festivals._

 _One memory in particular stood out for her from when she was just a child. Having scraped her knee in a fall while running ingredients to a nearby tent, she sat in the back alley behind the stalls dabbing gently at the blood with a handkerchief while fighting back tears. A candied apple entered her line of vision and she looked up to see who was holding it to find a boy, only a little older than her, looking at her consolingly. They became fast friends that night, laughing and playing together, to the point that the adults around her teased her about having a boyfriend at such a young age. However, they soon parted ways when she learned he was only visiting the area with his family. However, she never forgot about him after all those years had passed._

 _"So, what brings you here?" her wistful gaze turned curious as they sat together on their bench—they had taken to calling it 'their bench' at this point in commemoration of their first meeting. She realized he had not said much about himself at this point._

 _"I… decided I needed to get out of the house more often," he said in a noncommittal tone._

 _"Then, you live nearby?" she pushed._

 _"Somewhat," he shrugged._

 _"You're never going to give me a straight answer, are you?"_

 _"I thought women liked it when men are enigmatic and reserved," he said with a laugh._

 _"Well, with that mask on, you're less enigmatic and more eccentric," she rolled her eyes but laughed with him all the same._

 _"That won't be much of a problem soon," he pointed out. "The fireworks will be starting shortly."_

 _With a sudden jolt, she realized that he was right. After tonight she would see his face. She wondered if she was prepared for whatever might be revealed. A scar or some disfiguration she could probably handle, they had become friends, after all, and to shun him because of the way he looked was terribly shallow. However, she half-considered that maybe there was no face beneath the mask and he was a spirit of some sort that frequented festivals as it was easy to blend in with people there. That was impossible. She immediately rid her head of the fantastical notion and looked back at him._

 _"I'm looking forward to it," she gave him a small smile._

 _"Great, now I'm nervous," he shifted awkwardly. "I'm going to find a restroom. I promise I'll be back."_

 _"You'd better be," she warned. "You may be callous, but I never took you for someone who'd break a promise to a lady."_

 _"I'm not. Especially when there is no lady present," he teased._

 _"Oh, go powder your nose already," the young woman pushed him off the bench with a slight shove. "And get back here before the fireworks start."_

 _Many minutes passed and people started gathering closer to where she sat on the bench in anticipation of the upcoming pyrotechnics. She wondered if her seat-mate really did intend to abandon her and panicked for a moment. They never told each other their names. It seemed unnecessary as they only ever spoke to each other during their time together. That would need to be amended when he came back._ ** _If_** _he came back._

 _As people walked past, suspiciously eyeing the bench on which she sat alone, her hands and legs fidgeted nervously. She tried her best to appear as if she were nonchalantly waiting as opposed to anxiously fearing that she had been forsaken. A quick glance at her watch told her the show would be starting any minute. Looking up again to stare down another couple as they walked past, her view was abruptly blocked by something red and blurry. She allowed her eyes to adjust to the object that was before her and only barely held back a gasp as she recognized what it was. A candied apple._

 _"I promised I would come back, didn't I?" her eyes travelled up the arm holding the apple to the face that still wore the mask._

 _"So you did," she offered a smile. "I appreciate you keeping your word."_

 _"I never break a promise to a lady," he motioned for her to take the item from his hand, which she did. "Now, as for the next order of business—"_

 _His other hand slowly reached up to remove the mask. This time, she could not prevent the gasp that escaped from her mouth when she looked at his face for the first time. It may have been several years, but it could have only been yesterday as far as she was concerned. Those bright eyes and that unruly hair. The years had transformed his childishly handsome features to make them more pronounced and lean but she would never forget that face._

 _"It's you!"_

 _"Yes."_

 _"… Why?"_

 _Tears sprang to her eyes without warning and he reached out, in spite of himself, to brush them away, his hand coming to rest on her cheek. Her face took on a vivid shade of crimson but she did not pull away._

 _"To be perfectly honest, I'm not really sure," he shrugged. "I recognized you the minute I saw you rushing past me to sit on the bench but I didn't know how to approach you."_

 _"And so you chose to make fun of me instead?" she looked at him accusingly._

 _"I panicked," he admitted with a sheepish grin. "I'm sorry. Knowing how much time had passed, I assumed you had changed and I didn't know what to say to you. But, I finally got the chance to come back and I had to see you again. Even after all this time, I could never forget about you."_

 _"Neither could I," she shook her head. "I had a few friends over the years but you were always special to me."_

 _A short, strangled noise came from his throat before he embraced her tightly and narrowly avoided crushing the candied apple between them._

 _"So, why wait until you could see me again at the festival?" she pressed herself further against him, clasping her hands together behind his back. "Do you live that far away?"_

 _"What better time to reunite than during Tanabata?" he smiled into her shoulder. "It's as if the magpies have brought Orihime back to Hikoboshi once more."_

 _"That is unbelievably corny," she laughed for a good while before pausing to catch her breath. "But the sentiment is appreciated."_

 _It was far from a declaration of love, but it was a good start at the very least. They held on to each other as they continued to sit on their bench and, above their heads, the first explosion of shimmering light appeared._

* * *

"And they both lived happily ever after?"

"No, little one, that only happens in fairy tales," Kyoko said with a bemused smile. "You said you wanted to hear about real people, remember? They had their ups and downs just like everybody else."

"Thank you, mama," the girl stretched up to plant a light kiss on the woman's cheek. "It was a very good story."

"I'm glad you liked it. Now, off to bed with you!" she shooed the girl away with her hands and watched her run off to her room with a soft sigh.

"Funny, I don't remember meeting you at a festival," a soft, deep voice spoke from behind her.

"Who said the story was about us?" she looked over her shoulder.

He raised an eyebrow at her in response.

"She said she wanted a story about real people," Kyoko shrugged and smiled, standing and moving towards the source of the voice. "I just put a new spin on an old story."

Kuon's green eyes sparkled with a mix of admiration and amusement, "Considering she already knows how we met, I'm surprised she didn't figure it out."

"Ah, well, that is because I know the quintessential secret to storytelling," she winked at him as she approached him and his arms wrapped around her.

"And that would be?"

She beckoned for him to lower his head so she could whisper in his ear, "True love is always the same story. It just wears a different disguise each time."

 **-END-**

 **HAVE FUN STORMING THE CASTLE: So, meimeibunny asked if I'd write a story based on an image (it is now the cover photo for this collection of stories for your convenience but should you read this at a much later date, you can find it on page 25 of chapter 248 in the online scanlation by Impatient Scans). Full disclosure, everyone, I usually don't take requests as the stress of trying to do right by someone else's prompt while still retaining my own style of writing is often too much for me to handle. However, this one seemed like an innocent, fun one that I most likely couldn't screw up so I gave it a shot. Should anyone else approach me with a request, I will be honest with you as to whether or not I want to do it. I hope that's okay!**

 **Anywho, hope you all liked it! I realized about halfway through that it felt like The Princess Bride. I should probably watch that movie again just to get it out of my system. Also, yeah, I totally got the mask bit from Hotarubi no Mori e, because I love that it's such a heart-wrenchingly beautiful story. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it.**

 **AUTHOR OUT!**


	9. A Game for Two

**A GAME FOR TWO**

They were closing in on her and any available options for escape were rapidly disappearing as she backed further into the darkened, dead-end alley. She lowered herself into a crouch, her golden eyes glared through her spiky black bangs at the huge man across from her who led the group of ragged, unsavory weapon-wielding individuals who now glowered at her from behind him. Body language was always an especially good indicator of what another person was going to do and her eyes flitted from one to the other as she read their stances in preparation for their next moves. A few of them looked like they could potentially be a problem—the man at the head of them was definitely one—but the rest seemed like they would be easy to dispatch. Her right hand twitched slightly as it rested on the hilt of her sheathed sword, while her left was extended in front of her holding her shorter sword in a reverse grip, its blade adding a deadly edge to her forearm.

The sound of slow footsteps near the entrance to the alley were heard. She squinted to see a tall, lean silhouette standing behind her would-be attackers and let out a quiet, exasperated groan from behind clenched teeth.

"Well, this doesn't look like a fair fight at all," the silhouette spoke and paused—she assumed to count the number of assailants—before continuing. "Seven thugs against one blademaster? Really?"

"It _was_ a fair fight until _you_ showed up," she spat, never taking her eyes off of the men before her.

"Is that right?" she could almost hear the smirk in his voice. "Far be it from me to interfere in an evenly balanced match. I'll just stay over here and watch, if you don't mind. Please, carry on as if I weren't even here."

"Suit yourself," she tilted her head to one side, stretching out the kink that had developed in her neck.

With a cat-like grace, she lunged forward towards the two men near the back whose attention had been drawn to the unidentified person behind them. Now positioned between them, her left arm came up and drive its blade deep in to one man's neck while her right unsheathed her second sword but only managed to graze the torso of the other as he dodged out of the way at the last moment. She spun around and quickly took a defensive stance agains the others who were fast approaching. Deflecting blades and projectiles with quick, precise movements, she slowly worked her way around the group and away from the wall.

The entrance to the alley was nearly behind her when a spear found the gap in her defenses and bit into her side, piercing the deep red leather of the fitted tunic that was not covered by her armor. She winced for a split second before angrily swatting the weapon away with her own and moved in closer to lop the head clean off of its wielder. Backing away again to reclaim a safe distance, both of her swords were engaged by two heavy clubs. As she strained to fend them off, she noticed the glint of the leader's claymore in the dim moonlight as it descended towards her head. Her mind raced as she calculated whether or not she could successfully evade the attack when a loud clang sounded above her.

The crook of a staff blocked the sword from getting any closer and her enemies paused to look at the person who held it. A long, cream hooded cloak with moss green accents cloaked them and bright eyes stared out from under the hood's shadow. The leader of the group laughed incredulously as he took in the sight before him.

"You're just a healer mage," he said between guffaws, noticing the two stripes on the hem of the cloak. "And barely more than a beginner at that. What are you going to do, keep bringing her back to life so we can kill her over and over again?"

While the remaining living members of his gang joined in his laughter, the woman standing between them rolled her eyes and sighed, "I'm inclined to agree with them. What are you even doing here?"

"Well you looked like you needed help," he sounded mildly offended. "Besides, I may be physically weak, but I'm an excellent tactician."

"And your 'excellent' tactical logic said it was a good idea to interfere in a fight where you're outnumbered and underpowered?" she said scornfully while jeering laughter continued around them.

"Actually, yes," he lowered his staff and swung it in a wide arc, knocking two of their attackers in the head and causing them to stumble backwards. "Because people always let their guard down when they're too busy laughing."

Recovering quickly from the non-fatal blows, the two were suddenly surrounded by weapons held by very angry men. Turning around to press his back against hers, the mage held his staff defensively while peeking over his shoulder at the diminutive blademaster while she warily surveyed their enemies.

"If you're here to poach my bounty, I suggest you leave now," she warned. "Because, if you try anything once we make it out of this, I'll kill you myself."

"I'll be honest, the thought did cross my mind once I recognized that big bruiser with the sword over there but, I think staying alive would be a better choice for me at the moment," he nodded sheepishly at the large man holding the sword he previously blocked with his staff. "So, three for you and two for me?"

"Let's see if you can take _one_ down first, big boy," she said in a patronizing tone. "I maimed one of them earlier. Maybe that might be more your speed."

"You're too good to me."

"You can ask her out later, hot shot. For now, we've got business with this little lady," clearly, their banter was not amusing to their aggravated onlookers.

Their argument was cut short as the circle around them grew tighter. The mage firmly tapped the base of his staff against the ground and a shockwave pushed outward from the point of contact, sending their aggressors sprawling backwards. Taking the opportunity presented, the blademaster went on the offensive and used both swords to cut down two more of the henchmen, their bodies instantly going slack and collapsing tot he ground. Using the thicker end of his staff, the mage used it like a club and slammed it firmly against the temple of another lackey, sending him down for the count with a bloody laceration to the head.

Now, there was only one remaining minion left. As he backed away slowly to stand by the side of his leader, he shifted the mace he carried between his shaking hands. Now on the defensive, he awaited their next move. In one seemingly fluid motion, the blademaster tossed her short sword into the air and brought one leg up over her head, kicking the sword into it's new trajectory, the middle of the mace-wielder's forehead. It hit home with a sickening thunk and the man keeled backwards.

"I must say, I'm impressed that the stories about you were true, Akahime," the leader commended her. "You definitely control your swords with a deadly grace. But, will that be enough now that you are short one weapon?"

"If you have to ask that question, then you clearly haven't heard enough stories about me," she quipped back.

"It's going to take more than one measly sword and a weak healer mage to capture Boros the Black," his expression was one of haughty derision and the sword in his hand glowed with a powerful orange light.

"Hey, I resemble that remark," the mage retorted playfully, his hood had fallen from his head during the fray to reveal his face. "Or, at least, I would if I was actually as weak as you presume."

Green eyes glittered from beneath his mess of blond hair and his smile was a broad, menacing lie that split his face. His hand reached up to unbuckle the front of his cloak and, as it fell away to reveal the dark garb beneath. A look of horror and realization came over Boros as he stared, slack-jawed at the supposed mage. Hidden beneath the cloak, the dark leather pants, thick boots and long black coat with tarnished brass buttons identified him not as a healer mage, but as a necromancer. Only one necromancer had the gall to pair such a cheerful hair and eye color with the traditionally depressing garb of his class.

"Toumorokoshi," Boros' voice suddenly sounded strained and fearful.

"The one and only," he bowed and, with a snap of his fingers, his staff transformed into a large raven with a skeletal head and red eyes that perched itself on his shoulder with a defiant caw.

"Could we speed this dramatic reveal up a little?" Akahime snapped impatiently. "I've places to be, you know."

"Anything for you, my sweet," Toumorokoshi drawled smugly. "Would you like me to do the honors and restrain him for transport to the nearest PEO?"

"If you would be so kind," she answered while she poked gingerly at the gash in her side with a green glowing finger, healing it instantly.

The necromancer launched his raven into the air and it let out a near-deafening scream as it flew overhead. Suddenly, the bodies on the ground around them—even the headless one—slowly rose, staggering to their feet. They shuffled slowly towards Boros, pinning him by the arms and legs and lifting him into the air. The raven swooped back down to land on its master's shoulder.

"Ugh, I hate when you do that," Akahime pulled her fingers from her ears with a scowl. "That damn bird screeches like it's going to pierce my eardrums."

"It's gotta be loud enough to wake the dead, honey," Toumorokoshi smirked proudly. "Besides, why should _he_ get all the fun having flunkies do the work for him?"

The Policy Enforcement Office (or PEO), despite its important sounding name, was little more than a temporary jail operated by the authorities where hunters could take their bounties for processing and receive compensation for their efforts. It was necessary to have multiple locations in each town as most bounties are required to be brought in alive and the less distance one has to travel with them, the less chances they have to escape. The man sitting at the desk near the entrance to this particular location appeared rather nonplussed considering the small parade of gruesome reanimated corpses holding a large man captive followed by a necromancer and blademaster. You got used to seeing these sorts of things in this line of work.

"Well, if it isn't the deadly dynamic duo," the man at the desk nodded towards the latter two of the group. "Got another one for me?"

"We finally managed to track down Boros the Black," Akahime returned the nod. "His buddies were kind enough to help us bring him in."

"I can see that," he raised a curious eyebrow. "Will the bounty be split the usual way?"

"Make it 70/30," the necromancer spoke up. "She did most of the work for this one."

"But we always split it evenly," she protested loudly.

"Consider it as hazard pay," Toumorokoshi soothed. "You can use the extra to buy yourself some more of those red leather outfits you like so much since this one's got a hole in it now." He grinned mischievously, "Hell, I'll even help you pick them out!"

The blademaster growled loudly in annoyance, but offered no further complaint. They collected their fees without further conversation and left the building, each headed in a different direction.

* * *

Kyoko leaned back in her chair and raised her arms over her head in a languid stretch. After coaxing a few satisfying pops from her joints, she repositioned herself at her computer and adjusted her headset. With a few clicks, she switched from the general game chat to the private voice chat she set up for communicating with the few friends she had in-game. Her bounty hunting companion was already in there waiting for her as usual. This was where they typically met to discuss tactics for capturing the latest player to have a high price put on their head for misconduct within the game. They found it was easier to lull their prey into a false sense of security rather than bear down on them as two high-level players in a deadly game of cat and mouse.

"You know, we'll need to start a rotation of doing this on other servers or the other players will catch on to us pretty soon," Kyoko smiled as she spoke into the mic on her headset.

"I suppose," came the slightly distorted male voice on the other end. "But we can always make new characters once the jig is up. It might be fun, you know, starting again from the bottom."

"If you say so," she chuckled

"I _do_ say so," he insisted. "Regardless of our levels, you and I make an amazing team. Anyway, I should probably let you go. Catch you same time tomorrow night, darling?"

"Yes," she said a little too stiffly. "Have a good night, 'Koshi-san."

His unabashed flirtatiousness really should not affect her after all this time. He acted just like this from the time they randomly met in an online forum over a year ago; always calling her pet names like 'dear,' 'love,' 'sweetheart' and especially 'princess' as he pointedly refused to use her gamertag unless it was necessary when they were running a con on a bounty. It never really bothered her as she reasoned it was a far sight better than the insults that were often thrown around in their community and he, most likely, behaved like that around everyone. But, she would be a liar if she said the sound of his voice coming from her headphones did not send a shiver of delight down her spine.

"Sweet dreams, princess. I'll catch you later."

* * *

Unceremoniously dropping her bag at her desk once she arrived at the office that morning, Kyoko gracelessly flopped herself into her chair with a sigh. She then proceeded to awkwardly scoot it closer to her keyboard and monitor while continuing to nurse the steaming cup of coffee she held in her hand and one-handedly unlocking her computer.

"Somebody was up late I see," her desk mate, Chiori, said playfully, noticing the bleary-eyed look on Kyoko's face. "Had a hot date?"

She snorted in response, "Yea, with a book. I got so wrapped up in the story last night that, next thing I knew, it was 2am and I was three chapters away from the end."

"Quite the exciting life you lead."

"Indeed, I'm sure I am the envy of all," Kyoko rolled her eyes.

Very few people actually knew about her gaming tendencies and only a small subsection of them were aware of the extent to which she indulged in online games. As such, it was safer to appear a boring bookworm in the office than a hardcore gamer. Kyoko preferred to keep a low profile in the real world where she could and being just another nameless face in a marketing agency was good enough for her.

"Looks like you're not the only one," Chiori jutted her chin in the direction of the newest arrival to the office as he slowly trudged to the far end of the large room then lowering her voice once he was out of earshot. "I bet DPM-san actually _did_ have a hot date."

"Chiori-chan," she scolded in a harsh whisper. "It's not nice to talk about other people like that."

His actual name was Ren, she remembered that much from being introduced to the entire team when she started her job eighteen months prior. However, the other women she worked with in her department had taken to calling him Dreamy Project Manager, or DPM for short. It was a name he more than earned as he was handsome, professional and polite, with an easy smile that always seemed to be on his face. In addition, he was tall, lean and looked downright sinful when he wore his glasses like he currently was on this particular morning, his tired eyes blinking slowly behind the lenses. Kyoko, personally, refused to refer to him by the nickname as she was petrified that she might actually slip up and say it to his face should she ever have a reason to talk to him. Not that such a thing would ever happen as they worked in two different departments on opposite ends of the room.

"What?" Chiori said defensively with little regard to the volume of her voice. "Someone who looks as good as he does couldn't possibly have spent the night in with a book like somebody _else_ I could mention."

"I'm not having this conversation with you," Kyoko threw her hands up in defeat and redirected her attention to the monitor in front of her.

Having an acute sense of hearing was both a blessing and a curse at times for Ren. However, in this particular instance, he could not decide which it was. Shaking his head with a wry smile, he put his headphones on and logged in to his terminal, sparing only a brief moment to glance once more at the chestnut-haired beauty across the room who was actively ignoring person next to her as she chatted incessantly about something or the other. It may not have been a 'hot date' in the traditional sense, but he would not trade his nightly escapades with 'Akahime' for the world. One day, he would have to figure out how to tell her that in person.

-END-

* * *

 **BECAUSE I REALLY WANTED TO WRITE THEM AS A BATTLE COUPLE: And, because I also love writing witty banter between them. I'm half-considering turning this one into a longer story but I have not decided yet. I still need to work on my third rewrite of the sequel to In Another Life and that has been slow going at the best of times because I think I've set the expectation of what I want it to be a little too high. Oh well, I will forever be my own worst critic.**

 **For those who want extra credit for laughs, google Ren's gamer tag. I hope you all enjoyed this one as well! I hope to see you here again soon.**

 **AUTHOR OUT!**


	10. Urban Legend

**URBAN LEGEND**

"No, I definitely heard it," one of the ladies in the hallway said in hushed tones to the other. "It was just as they said it would be. I got within maybe three meters of the end of that hallway in the early evening last Tuesday and I heard it!"

"Oh, come on, it's just an urban legend," the other woman dismissed her. "I bet it was just echoing down the hallway from somewhere else."

"Then, why don't _you_ go up there and prove me wrong?" the first one shot back, sounding mildly offended.

"Because that hallway gives me the creeps as it is. It's always deserted and the lights are always out or flickering at that end. I don't need to hear echoing voices to add to the experience, thanks."

Their voices grew softer as they moved further away from where Kyoko stood, dressed in her usual pink jumpsuit as she quietly removed a series of posters from the large, wall displays to replace them with updated ones featuring more recent dramas and movies. This was not the first time she had heard other people talking about this. In fact, the first few times she heard it, she eventually broke down, despite her better judgement, and asked someone to explain it to her.

On the fifth floor of the LME building, there is an empty hallway, at the end of which an abandoned office is located. The office once belonged to a manager who had long since retired and no one else wanted to use the space as it was isolated from all of the other offices, which made for long treks to anywhere else in the building. As such, it creates the perfect setting for purported eerie occurrences.

It is said that, if you go down that hallway towards the empty office in the evening, you will hear disembodied maniacal laughter that will chill you to your very core. Several LME employees have confirmed this as they have all heard the voice when venturing to the supply closet residing in that same area. Therefore, that supply closet became effectively disused by the majority of LME's clerical staff.

"Kyoko, I'm all out of poster backing on my end. Do you have anymore?" Kanae approached her friend with a weary look while adjusting the bandanna she often tied around her head when their LoveMe assignments required manual labor.

"I only have two more and I need them for my last two posters," Kyoko looked into her box of supplies. "Have you asked Sawara-san where you can find more?"

"I did," she confirmed. "He said we were given all of the supplies they had but there may be some in a storage room up on the fifth floor somewhere. I just didn't feel like going all the way up there if you had extra."

"Eh? Surely that doesn't mean you have to go to _that_ closet, do you?" Kyoko's face paled slightly. "You've heard the stories, haven't you, Moko-san?"

"Mou, as if I'm going to let some ridiculous story of over-imaginative office workers deter me from getting this stupid task done," Kanae snapped angrily. "It's just some silly myth."

With that, she stormed off down the hallway towards the bank of elevators. Kyoko sighed and shook her head before picking up the next poster she had placed on the floor, carefully rolling it up and placing it neatly with the others she had in the box beside her. A large shadow was suddenly blocking the light coming in from the windows on the opposite side of the hallway from the setting sun. Turning around to find the source, she looked up and met eyes with one Tsuruga Ren, her senior, mentor and… friend. Yes, they were just friends. Only that. Really.

"Good evening, Tsuruga-san," she put on her most neutral smile. "What brings you here?"

"Good evening to you as well, Mogami-san," oh, how that smile of his did things to her heart that she hoped would not inadvertently shorten her lifespan. "My manger left me to do some paperwork a few hours ago, I came to meet back up with him."

They chatted back and forth about various work-related things while she hung the last two posters and cleaned up her supplies. When Ren bent down to pick up one of her boxes, she quickly batted his hand away, reminding him of the last time he tried to help with her LoveMe work. She was not about to be deducted points because she couldn't manage to carry two extremely light boxes. Straightening up from her crouch with both items in her arms, she looked up to see Kanae standing before them, white as a sheet and trembling.

"Moko-san what—"

"It's true," Kanae said in an oddly timid voice. "All of it."

"You heard it?" Kyoko's eyes were wide as saucers in an instant. "What did it sound like?"

"I wish I had the words to describe it other than I never want to hear it again," her friend clutched tightly at her left arm with her right hand. "If you don't believe me, you can go hear it for yourself."

"What are you two talking about?" Ren chimed in innocently, completely at a loss with their conversation.

The two women quickly explained the myth that began circulating around the building over the past month. He raised a skeptical eyebrow at the two of them and folded his arms.

"I find that hard to believe," he said logically. "There are no such things as ghosts or hauntings."

"Then go witness it in person," Kanae retorted in irritation, pushing the tall actor and Kyoko towards the elevators.

"Wait, why do I have to go with him?" Kyoko wailed in desperation. "I completely believe you."

"So he can't chicken out and say he didn't hear it because he never actually went," her friend reasoned hastily, still pushing the two of them with all of her might. "And don't think you can just take a detour and corroborate each other's stories. I know when you're lying, Kyoko."

"Let's just go, Mogami-san." Ren said calmly. "I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for all of this."

"Fine," she gave in with a pout.

When they reached the hallway in question, it definitely felt unearthly quiet. They proceeded slowly towards the office door at the end. Kyoko confirmed they were in the right place by noting the empty nameplate next to the office door and the door to storage closet that was along the wall to the left. A loud cackle suddenly resounded through the hall, bouncing off the walls, giving it a hollow tone and adding a disturbing effect to the entire experience. Ren, instinctively threw an arm out in front of the woman beside him to protect her and she ran right into it. He looked down at her and, instead of a terrified expression, she had one of contemplation.

"Mogami-san?" he figured it was no more than an echo from somewhere else on the floor but wondered what conclusion she had formed.

"I'm not sensing anything menacing from it, whatever it is," she said thoughtfully, her grudge demons were never awakened by the sound and remained dormant. "I'll just tell Kanae not to worry since it doesn't seem to have any ill intentions."

He wondered exactly what she meant by that but decided not to say anything and continued to watch as she walked further down the hall. Completely nonplussed, she opened the nearby storage closet, searched around for a bit and removed a handful of poster backing. The closet door closed with a soft click and she looked up at her companion as if to ask if he was coming with her. With a nod, he returned to her side when they heard the laughter again. This time it was much clearer and Ren suddenly realized what was going on. He followed Kyoko back down to the first floor without another word to report back to her friend the results of their findings.

Kanae seemed begrudgingly placated by Kyoko's explanation and thanked her for bringing the items she forgot to retrieve in her haste to leave the dreaded hallway. Ren politely excused himself from the pink-clad pair saying he had to meet up with his manager and they both bid him farewell. Once again in an elevator, he returned to the fifth floor. At the end of the empty hallway, he reached out and tried to open the door to the abandoned office; it was locked. He raised his hand and knocked quietly on the door with a single knuckle.

"Open the door, Yashiro-san. I know you're in there."

There was the sound of shuffling papers and feet before the door finally opened to reveal Ren's bespectacled manager, dressed primly as always in his suit.

"Ren? How did you know to find me here?" he asked surprised. "I was just about to come downstairs and meet you in the LoveMe room like I usually do."

"You're scaring the employees half to death with your carrying on in here," he scolded his manager. "I'm the only one who recognized out that crazed laugh was yours. What are you even doing in here?"

His eyes flitted about the small office and widened by the second as he took in everything. The first word that came to mind was 'shrine' but he quickly replaced it with 'archive.' That's what it was, an archive of everything his manager was able to collect related to Ren and Kyoko. He saw albums and scrapbooks, posters from their recent dramas, DVDs and… where did he even get a projector from? It was currently pointed towards a blank wall and rotating through a slideshow of amateur photos that looked as if they were taken quickly using one's phone.

"I was running out of room in my apartment and no one even uses this office anymore, so I figured it was safe here," Yashiro complained with a small pout. "Besides, if you would just ask her out already, I wouldn't have to hole myself up in here with only my imagination."

Ren just shook his head sadly, turned around and walked out of the office without another word. He fervently hoped President Takarada would never find out about this room and vowed to never breathe a word of it in his presence. The last thing he needed was to learn that someone had a collection that was larger than his.

-END-

 **THANKS FOR KEEPING ME UP ALL NIGHT, STORY; THOSE WERE SOME GOOD TIMES: This one came to me right before I fell asleep last night and I actually had to get out of bed and write down the outline for it so that I would not forget. Thankfully, it was still fresh in my mind when I got up so I decided to write it out for your reading enjoyment.**

 **This will probably be the last one for a little bit (probably until next month) as the con that I go to annually is coming up and I'm still scrambling to put the finishing touches on my cosplay. #thatnerdlyfe**

 **To Blushweaver, since we updated on the same day again, I hope you remembered to wear the agreed upon outfit. We really need to stop meeting like this.**

 **See you all next time!**

 **AUTHOR OUT!**


	11. In This Life

**IN THIS LIFE (sequel to _In Another Life_ )**

 **NOTE TO NEW READERS: If you have not read "In Another Life," (I think it's chapter 4 of this collection of stories) I suggest you go back and read that first before this one so that you get the whole story!**

 _"The very last breath of the hero of our tale  
_ _Would leave you only to guess,  
_ _Did he truly prevail in a sequel?  
_ _I guess I'll have to write a sequel."_

\- Kishi Bashi, _Manchester_

* * *

He sighed; they were back again. Having experienced these dreams at least once per month, if not more frequently, since the filming of Dark Moon, they fell just short of beating him over the head with the idea that he and Kyoko were fated lovers. While he had emotionally progressed enough to come to terms with his feelings towards her, he was still not prepared to do anything about them. The dreams were just an added complication to an already intricate problem.

Communicating that out loud was, of course, never a viable option. How exactly does one go about telling her about those dreams? Oh, and by the way, you are also the long-lost childhood friend from when she was six years old who gifted her with the stone she now religiously carries around with her as a source of comfort and courage when she cannot produce her own. Only, you have assumed a new identity while trying to find atonement for some bad choices you made in your teens. And you are the son of the internationally famous movie star that she greatly admires and calls 'Father'. Yes, try telling all that to Miss gunning-down-romance-at-point-blank-range, Mogami Kyoko, and see how you fare.

Ren placed the empty glass in the kitchen sink and trudged back to his bedroom. It may prove to be a futile attempt, but he wished to try for just a few more hours of sleep. Perhaps that sleep would not be pervaded by dreams of a bright-eyed young woman whose smile stops the rhythmic beating of his heart cold in its tracks. Well… one could hope anyway.

* * *

It was official, Kyoko was slowly going insane. Rubbing the last bit of sleep from her eyes, she groaned wearily. Her overactive imagination was finally getting the better of her at night. Between that and her newly-realized feelings for her senior, mentor, and former co-star, she was having the most bizarre dreams. Granted, she often had dreams in which he featured before but, most recently, they became more frequent and romance focused.

She chalked it up to the conversation she had with President Takarada as he pointed out to her that she could use these wretched emotions in her acting. It seemed to her that her mind was creating scenarios and characters for the two of them to act out in her dreams. They just happened to be long, elaborate stories of unrequited, unrealized or ill-timed love despite the odds always bringing them together. To be perfectly honest, she was starting to grow tired of it as some of them bore resemblances to terribly cliched romance novels, using her most treasured Corn stone as a symbol of fate. While she was not the typical, simpering lovestruck woman during her waking hours, her brain apparently had other ideas when she went to sleep.

Kyoko began to wonder if she needed to see a doctor. She knew she ate well and got plenty of exercise while working or commuting via bicycle. Perhaps she was not getting proper rest or her futon was too firm. One way or another, something was going to give and she would prefer not to be sleep deprived and blurting out to Ren the details of how she constantly dreams about him. Shaking her head vigorously at the thought, she got up from her futon and prepared herself for the day ahead.

* * *

"What happened then?" Yashiro pushed for more details as they drove along that morning.

Ren cursed himself mentally for even mentioning to his manager the reason for his lack of proper sleep. Ever the sharp-witted man that he is, his mind immediately leapt to the conclusion that the dream was about Kyoko. As a result, he was currently badgering the actor for a full recounting of the previous night. With an elongated sigh, Ren continued the drive saying nothing further about it.

By the time they arrived at LME, he had, reluctantly, given in and related an overly generalized version to his manager. Several large parts were omitted for the sake of retaining his own sanity as he would not be able to tolerate the noises Yashiro would undoubtedly make were he aware of the implications made regarding their fate.

"So you saw her being attacked across the field from where you were walking," his manager prompted. "What did you do next?"

"… and then he comes to help me kill these things and we _both_ end up dying," a familiar voice said from around the corner.

Two girls, in blindingly pink jumpsuits, rounded the corner into the main hallway carrying stacks of flattened boxes in their arms. The duo stopped just short of running into the two men, abruptly ending their conversation. Yashiro eyed the young women carefully as they made their greetings with respectful bows. He also could not miss the look on his charge's face indicating that he was equally curious about their conversation.

"What on Earth were you two just talking about?" he asked finally.

"Oh, the President has us trying out these online games so that we can learn the 'love and trust of working in a team with complete strangers,'" the lie fluidly came from Kanae's lips with practiced ease as she did not miss the way all color drained from Kyoko's face at the question. "Kyoko had to try it out first and she was telling me all about it."

"I… see," something felt off about the explanation, but Yashiro shrugged it off. "Well, you ladies have a good morning. We should be going so that we are not late for our meeting."

He gestured to Ren, who threw another odd glance at Kyoko before bidding both ladies farewell and the two of them continued on their way. As they walked side-by-side, he noticed the slight shake of the actor's head as if he were dismissing a thought in his head.

"What was that for?"

"Nothing," Ren said quickly. "Just a very strange coincidence I suppose."

"How so?"

"It felt as if the words were taken right out of my mouth."

* * *

"He's the one, isn't he?" Kanae said when they were alone again.

"What are you talking about?"

"The 'random guy' who keeps showing up in your dreams. It's him, right?" she gestured down the hallway where the two men had disappeared from sight.

Kyoko's teeth worried at her lip and she was unable to look her best friend in the eye. Clutching the boxes in her hand tighter, she looked embarrassedly to the side and nodded once. Kanae said nothing further as it was neither the time, nor the place, to discuss that. They continued to walk back to the LoveMe room in silence.

It was only in the past few weeks that Kyoko began to confide in her friend about the dreams she was having when it became apparent that her behavior was being affected by them. Despite the vehemence with which she would deny the fact, Kanae was very observant when it came to her best friend. As such, it was easy for her to notice the general unease surrounding the young woman. It required slightly more than the usual amount of coercion to get her to own up to what was bothering her but, after a particularly effective threat regarding sleepovers and snack food, Kyoko finally cracked and the source of her troubles came rushing out. Unfortunately, there was not much she could think of to help her friend. Instead, she encouraged that they at least talk about her dreams together. She once heard somewhere that talking about one's dreams was helpful in allowing the mind the reconcile what it experienced. It seemed to help, as her friend appeared to get some relief by sharing with someone else.

She always did wonder about the unidentified male who kept appearing. Kyoko was noticeably vague about what he looked like but it was usually the same person. More often than not, she would wave a dismissive hand as she spoke saying that it was irrelevant and did not matter. Kanae let it slide due to the fact that at least she was opening up about _something_ and felt that, if she pushed her for more details, she would shut down completely. Now, it was clear as to why her friend had been oddly reticent about the other person who featured in her dreams. She was in love with him. And she was ashamed of that.

"You're never going to tell him are you." she stated plainly when they were back in the LoveMe room, assembling the boxes before carefully packing away the folders they previously sorted into stacks around them.

"Would you?" Kyoko asked, an eyebrow raised incredulously. "If you were someone like me?"

Kanae took a long moment to contemplate her answer. The sad truth was that it was expected that her friend would never consider herself a suitable match for the most eligible bachelor in the country. The last celebrity she had the unfortunate experience of falling in love with left her with zero regard for their lengthy childhood friendship; to say nothing of the extremely damaging remarks he made about her appearance. And, her self-esteem had already taken a momentous hit from her mother effectively abandoning her. Yes, there were several very good reasons why Kyoko was the number one member of LoveMe and all of them supported her self-deprecating attitude toward the possibility that she would be good enough for anyone. Especially for someone as high-profile as Ren; regardless of the fact that—if his behavior was any indication—it would most likely be mutual.

"I don't know what I can say that would reverse a lifetime of emotional devastation," she admitted somberly. "But, you are much more than you believe yourself to be."

"Moko-san, that's one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me," Kyoko choked out and pulled her into a fast embrace. "Thank you for believing in me."

"How about you start believing in yourself for a change?" Kanae counted to an arbitrary number in her head before she started to attempt prying her way out from her friend's arms.

"Even if I was more confident, I still don't think I'd be ready to do something like _that_."

"Why not?"

"Because he's… he's…"

"Well respected and liked? One of the most prominent actors in the industry? Desired by nearly every woman—and a number of men—across the country?" Kanae supplied.

"Among other things, yes," she nodded.

"So what?" she challenged. "He's still only human and, from what I can tell, you're probably one of the handful of people who treats him as such when everyone else likely sees him as an asset or commodity."

"I appreciate the vote of confidence, really," Kyoko shook her head gently. "But, I respect and treasure the relationship we have too much to want to change it. Even if I _did_ believe that I was evenly matched with him, it's just not that simple."

"Fine, I'm not going to force you to do anything if you're not ready but," she added cryptically. "The odds may be more in your favor than you think."

* * *

Ren smuggled his completely masculine and not-at-all-ridiculous sheep pillow into the darkened room of the LoveMe section in the hopes of getting a quick nap before leaving for a photoshoot in a little over an hour. He did not expect to find the object of his undisclosed affections curled up in his usual spot, fast asleep. She had all the wild and ethereal beauty of a forest sprite caught sleeping in the treetops as her hair splayed out across the cushion. Smiling softly at the sight, he bent over and carefully tucked the pillow he carried under her head, which was currently at an odd angle having nothing but her hands to support it. She mumbled quietly at the disturbance, but did not wake and he breathed a silent sigh of relief. The strands of russet hair that fell into her face were gently brushed away and tucked behind her ear. Satisfied with what he had done, Ren stretched out on an adjacent chair and drifted off to sleep himself.

Yashiro was well aware of his charge's favorite resting spot in the LME building and quietly opened the door to the room to retrieve him for his next job. Upon entering the room, the light that filtered in from the hallway revealed that there was another person standing there, observing the pair of actors who currently slept soundly on the chairs before them. The long, black hair cascading from a headband told him it was Kyoko's friend and fellow LoveMe member. Slowly making his way to stand beside her, he was about to ask what she was doing when her arm swiftly whipped out and clamped a hand over his mouth. She held a finger to her lips and jerked her head towards where Ren and Kyoko slept. He raised one eyebrow at her in question but the other soon joined it and his eyes opened wide when he heard voices suddenly speaking in the otherwise silent room. They stood there like that and listened for several minutes before he motioned for her to join him outside.

Back in the hallway, he let out a breath he did not remember holding while Kanae pinched at the bridge of her nose.

"What _was_ that?!" Yashiro asked in a voice just above a whisper, not wanting to wake the occupants of the room they just left or alert anyone else in the hallway to their conversation.

"I don't know," she shook her head in disbelief. "They were... talking."

"To each other," he added. "In their sleep."

Were the two actors awake, it would have appeared as if they were merely practicing lines with each other. However, the fact that they were both unconscious made the entire scene extremely surreal. Neither one of them sounded like themselves—they referred to each other by different names—and yet they were having a fluid conversation with each other. There were no awkward pauses and each question that was asked was answered by the other in a completely coherent manner. Yashiro swore that one of them even laughed at some inside joke that the other must have made.

"Well, what do we do?"

"Kyoko asked to have dinner with me before she worked at TBM tonight so I came here to get her," Kanae stated. "You?"

"Ren has a photoshoot in a half hour," he pointed his chin towards the door. "Which one of us should go in first?"

"I'll do it," the young woman volunteered. "She'll be forced to postpone her inevitable freakout if he's still sleeping in there. Why don't you make yourself scarce until we leave?"

He nodded once and turned to walk further down the hallway while Kanae quietly slipped back into the room. Busying himself with his phone, he waited patiently just around the corner until he heard hushed voices that he recognized and the sound of a softly closing door. His head poked around the corner to see the retreating backs of the two female actors and he all but tiptoed back to the room. Ren was still completely out of it, his legs pushed straight out in front of him and crossed at the ankles while his hands were folded across his stomach and his chin rested delicately against his chest. Yashiro soundlessly turned the lights on in the room and the sleeping actor awoke instantly with a sharp intake of breath.

"Why would you do that?" Ren asked sternly, blinking at his manager. "Mogami-san is—"

He trailed off when looked over to the now-vacated spot where Kyoko had slept, and then at the pillow that had been neatly placed in the center of his lap.

"She left a little while ago with her friend," Yashiro explained.

"…Oh."

"Perhaps, when we get in the car, you can tell me the details of that trick you two pulled."

"Trick?" Ren asked, confused.

"You were both talking in your sleep," he stated matter-of-factly. "With each other."

"W-what? How?" Ren rubbed the heel of his hand across one eye.

"I wouldn't be asking if I knew," he shrugged. "I almost thought you were helping her practice lines since you were both responding to different names."

Ren's face grew paler by the second as his manager prattled on about what he heard. The names and dialogue all sounded so familiar. He remembered this conversation as if it were a dream. Because it had been a dream; the one from which he had just awoken, in fact. He nearly choked on his next breath but, somehow, managed to smoothly transition it into a light cough. If they were able to converse with each other in their sleep then there was a decent possibility that they were having the same dream. All those fantastical notions of kismet suddenly did not seem so ridiculous. But, the problem still remained of how he was going to talk to her about all of this.

Lifting the pillow from his lap, he tucked it under one arm, noticing the pleasant mixture of lavender and jasmine that wafted from it, courtesy of Kyoko's shampoo. With a wistful smile, he got up and followed his manager out of the room.

* * *

"I did WHAT?!" Kyoko shrieked as they walked together along the sidewalk.

Kanae briefly considered locating a paper bag for her friend to breathe into as she prepared herself for the impending hysterics.

"Mou, I refuse to talk to you unless you calm down first.

"But Moko-san," she whined, drawling her best friend's nickname. "You're telling me I tried to carry on a conversation with Tsuruga-san in my sleep. How do you expect me to react?"

"I suppose logic was too much to ask for at the point," Kanae grumbled. "You didn't _try_ to do anything, it just happened. We just found it very confusing because you were both asleep but the way you sounded, it was as if you were fully awake."

Kyoko started breathing heavily and the other woman instantly regretted not finding a paper bag earlier. Suddenly, she stopped altogether and narrowed her eyes, her head cocked to one side.

"What do you mean by 'we'?"

Kanae floundered for a few moments before giving in with a sigh, "His manager came in a little after me and witnessed it too."

The dark haired woman tried to name the shade of red that immediately spread across her friend's face. If she had to guess, it was somewhere between ruby and scarlet. She watched Kyoko sink to her knees in the middle of the sidewalk with an anguished wail and wished she could be anywhere else. Were it anyone other than her best friend having an existential crisis in the middle of the city, she would have left long ago.

When the young woman suddenly leapt up and bounded in the opposite direction, Kanae grasped her tightly by the wrist.

"Where are you going?"

"Yashiro-san must have told him what I did. I have to apologize to him right now," Kyoko begged. "Hopefully, I can catch him before he leaves."

"You will do no such thing," Kanae yanked her backwards forcefully. "You are going to come have dinner with me like you _promised_ and leave the panicking for another time. His manager said he had to leave for another job and you don't want to disrupt his work do you?"

Hanging her head in defeat, she nodded solemnly in agreement, "You're right, Moko-san. I'm sorry."

Kanae pulled her now-reluctant friend along with her as they continued on their way. She would not deny the fact that Kyoko _did_ need to have a talk with Ren, but she also knew it would not be a quick conversation. It would be better for them to take the time when they both were not in a hurry. As oblivious as the two of them seemed to be regarding each other's feelings, they would need as much time as they could get.

* * *

Unbeknownst to either of them, while Kanae tried to make herself unavailable as often as possible, Yashiro orchestrated as many long breaks and early nights as Ren's schedule would allow so that he and Kyoko would have more opportunities to meet. However, even with their unintentionally coordinated efforts, it was still several days before the two were able to see each other.

Ren considered it a stroke of luck that the young woman accepted his invitation to his apartment that evening with little reluctance but an overall appearance of dread. Since she had been there more than a handful of times already for various reasons, he hoped it would be a less intimidating, and more private, venue for their discussion. He made sure to specify that there would be no cooking on either of their parts—especially considering the disaster that was his last foray into the culinary arts—though that did not seem to alleviate her anxiety.

Having removed her shoes upon entering the door, Kyoko immediately prostrated herself on the floor before him.

"I AM SO SORRY!" she bellowed in despair.

"Mogami-san what are you doing?!"

"I wanted to apologize for taking advantage of you while you were asleep in the LoveMe room last week," her forehead remained firmly planted on the floor.

"Okay, first of all, that sounds _much_ worse than what actually happened," Ren began, trying to maintain an even, calming tone. "Secondly, aren't you the least bit curious as to _why_ it happened at all?"

"Talking in one's sleep is a fairly common occurrence," she said matter-of-factly, uncurling herself from her position on the floor.

"Yes, but I believe two people having a full conversation in their sleep is not," he reasoned, offering her a hand to help her stand up.

Once she was on her feet again, he led her to the sofa and motioned for her to sit. Ren disappeared into the kitchen only to return seconds later with two glasses of water. Handing one to her, he sat down beside her. She rubbed her fingers idly along the side of the glass and refused to look him in the eye. He sighed.

"I don't recall this ever happening during the filming of Tragic Marker," he remarked absently, then remembered that he never experienced any of _those_ dreams while they shared a hotel room.

Kyoko shook her head in agreement and shrugged, "This must be some odd fluke."

"Do you remember if you dreamt anything?"

"I don't believe so, no," she kept her voice as level as possible as she lied.

"I see," he said, disheartened.

Kyoko had not seen him like this since she caught him moping around TBM while she was dressed as Bo. Even during the Maui Omurice incident, he looked more determined and introspective. This time, he appeared disappointed in himself, as if he held on to some hope that was utterly dashed by her response. She hated to see him when he looked so down and in her heart bloomed a fervent wish that she could help him out of it.

"Did _you_ happen to dream of anything then?" she asked softly in return.

Ren nodded, but just barely, and said no more. She hesitated to ask him anything further. Having refused to tell him the truth of her own dreams, she had no right to expect any different from him. The water in the glass she held wobbled slightly and she looked down to watch it intently, trying to find a way to break the silence.

"I dreamt I was a doctor," he cleared his throat gently and Kyoko's eyes snapped to his when he began to speak. "I had become close to a patient over the course of their treatment when they eventually passed. They had a terminal illness and only had six months to live."

"Eight months," Kyoko corrected absently, her eyes going wide in realization of what she had done.

Ren took a deep breath before he spoke again, "I thought you said you didn't remember anything."

"I-I'm sorry I lied," she stammered her apology. "I don't like talking about my dreams because they're so personal. It did not occur to me that we would ever dream about the same thing, not to mention at the same time."

He nodded in understanding, accepting her response. It made sense that she would be wary of telling him about it. Ever the paragon of propriety, Kyoko would rather lose a limb than admit that he featured in her dreams. But, if he did feature in them, did that mean what he thought it meant?

"Besides, you were fairly vague about everything when describing your dream," she pointed out, looking at him slyly. "It didn't seem like you wanted to talk about it either."

Ren chuckled briefly at this, "You're absolutely right. Since you said you didn't remember your dream, the last thing I wanted was to burden you with the implications of mine."

"Implications?"

"We both had the same dream," he explained. "At the same time. Involving each other. Do you not recall what all happened during it?"

Kyoko's face blanched at that. Yes, there were definitely implications. It was a recurring theme that her dreams were supposedly more visions of her and Ren in other lifetimes than the delusional dalliances of her subconscious at night. Purportedly, they both shared these visions because there was some invisible thread of fate, and a peculiar deep blue stone, tying them together. It was easy for her to pass this off as exceedingly preposterous—he already knew about Corn and her stone so there was no real mysticism there—until this very conversation. But, her dreams had now invaded her waking life. Yes, there were many implications. And all of them were terrifying to her.

"Impossible," she muttered to herself.

"What's impossible?"

"You can't possibly—I mean, we couldn't be—," her mind raced while her mouth fought a losing battle to catch up.

"Perhaps you'd like to take a moment?" Ren suggested gently and pointed towards the water she held.

Putting the glass to her lips, she slowly swallowed several mouthfuls. Much to her relief, she found that it did have a slightly calming effect. She turned her focus fully towards each subsequent sip until she felt more under control. Giving Ren a grateful look for the brief break, she placed her glass on the coffee table and nodded.

"So, would it be a safe assumption that you have had several dreams like these?" he started again. "Before you get nervous, I will preface that question by admitting that I have had a good number of them."

Kyoko's hands began to shake again, so she busied them by counting off each different dream on her fingers, "The Bakumatsu Era one, the post-apocalyptic one, the rival street gangs one, the next-door neighbors one. At least those are the ones I can remember off the top of my head."

Ren nodded after each one was listed, confirming he remembered them as well.

"I just don't understand," she continued. "What is the purpose of all this?"

"What do you mean?" he looked at her quizzically. "I thought it was pretty clear what they were trying to tell us."

"That's awfully presumptuous, trying to throw us together without so much as a by-your leave," she ranted. "Especially when you—"

 _'Especially when you're in love with someone else,'_ was how she meant to finish, but did not.

"Especially when I what?" he put her on the spot.

"I just meant that there's no way you would ever feel the same way about me as I do about you," Kyoko blurted out, then clamped a hand over her mouth.

She had meant to word that differently. Instead, the thought was expressed in the most unrefined fashion possible. Humiliation swept over her like a giant wave crashes on the shore. However, it was the truth. He loved another, someone who was four years younger and still in high school, just like she was—

' _There's no way he was talking about me… is there?'_

Ren sat there frozen by what she had just said, the heel of one hand rubbed so firmly into the knee of his pants, by all calculations, a hole should have developed. An intense flush of crimson rose to his face and he looked away from her. Kyoko had to take a deep, steadying breath at that reaction because—well, that was quite possibly the hottest thing she had ever seen him do. The always calm and collected Tsuruga Ren had been rendered completely flustered by her outburst. It took everything in her power to not smirk triumphantly.

"I assure you that's not the case," he squeaked out in an inexplicably hoarse voice. "Quite the opposite, actually."

All of her hard-won composure was lost in an instant and she was, again, a blathering mess. She silently cursed the man who currently sat across from her. Only he could do this to her. Kyoko's heart sped up, its rhythm not unlike the beating hooves of several galloping horses. Her palms dampened considerably and her cheeks felt like they were on fire.

"For the longest while I never knew how to tell you," Ren admitted openly. "But these dreams have been overwhelming me to the point that all I can think about is what it would be like to call you mine."

"I-I…" she found it difficult to hear her own voice over the rushing of her pulse in her ears.

"Mogami—no, Kyoko, there are a number of things about me I have yet to share with you. Things that only a select few people know," he explained. "But, you are the only person I trust enough to tell before it ever becomes public knowledge. Is it alright if I tell you about that someday?" Ren asked, hope evident in his voice. "I'd tell you now but I think you've been given enough to adjust to already."

Her words had failed her the last few attempts, so speaking was clearly not an option. She chose to reply with a nod instead.

"Please don't feel like you need to respond immediately to my feelings," he timidly reached out and closed his hand over hers, blanketing it with warmth. "The only thing I ask is that you know that I love you. I love you for everything you are and ever will be and that will never change. This is it for me. _You_ are it for me."

"I really don't know what to say," Kyoko finally managed to force a complete sentence past her lips.

"You don't have to say anything if you aren't ready," he gently shook his head. "I know this is a lot but I wanted to make sure you are absolutely certain of how I feel about you."

"Yes, I think I do."

Ren's breath came out in a long sigh of relief. He looked at the woman sitting there before him and a battle was waged within him to keep his eyes from straying to her lips. They were perfectly bowed in a small, pensive pout and he found it difficult to look away. Inwardly, he admonished himself; they had only just come terms with their own feelings for each other and all he could think about was claiming her mouth with his own. His eyebrows furrowed just slightly and a tiny frown formed.

"What is it?" she asked innocently, noticing his change in expression.

"I'm trying to convince myself that it would be ungentlemanly to ask to kiss you," he said with a wry smile. "I don't want to pressure you into anything you aren't ready for."

He watched her as she remained thoughtful for an excruciatingly long moment. Kyoko looked as if she was actually weighing a decision as to whether or not she allow it. On one hand, he was absolutely petrified by the possibility that she would turn him down. However, on the other, he was somewhat happy to see that the was carefully considering her response rather than being swept up in the moment. She did not exactly have much of a choice the last two times someone kissed her—Ren lived every day with the guilt-ridden elation of having stolen her lips on Guam as 'Corn'—so, having the freedom to choose this time around was important.

She then looked up at him with a decisive nod, "It's okay."

Shifting closer to her, he left the one hand where it continued to rest on hers and brought the other up to brush the hair back from her face before resting softly along her jawline. As he lowered his head towards hers, he watched as her eyelids fluttered shut in complete surrender and he swore his heart nearly stopped at the sight of it. When his nose brushed along her cheek and he was but a breath away, he swallowed the lump of apprehension in his throat and closed the distance between their lips.

It was sweet and gentle with all the hallmarks of restrained passion and their senses were overloaded with the sound, taste, touch and smell of each other. The experience was now imprinted in their minds and on their flesh; an indelible lover's signature. However, the rampant dreams had Ren anticipating some momentous, be-all-end-all occasion where the two of them finally got it right. It was remarkable in it's own right and thoroughly enjoyable, but he found himself somewhat at a loss. When he slowly pulled away, he looked at her thoughtfully. She raised an eyebrow at him in question.

"Well, that was…" he hesitated, not knowing how to properly finish his thought without potentially offending her. "Different… than I expected?"

Taken slightly aback, her face colored.

"Well, I'm not exactly a kissing expert like _some_ people," Kyoko looked at him pointedly. "So, you'll have to forgive me if I am unable to… wait a minute. You believed it, didn't you?!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," his face flushed in embarrassment.

"You _did,_ oh my goodness," a giddy laugh bubbled from her lips and she clutched at her stomach. "You honestly thought those dreams _meant_ something?"

"Well, can you blame me?" he defended himself in a tone that was half mortified and half irritated. "We were having the same dreams. I'm more surprised you weren't right there along with me considering your head is always full of fairy tales."

"I may be a fan of them," her face was suddenly serious. "But, I learned a while ago that fairy tales do not apply to people like me."

Ren frowned, sadness clouded his eyes, "I would give you the fairy tale, were you only to ask it."

He brought her hand up to his lips, pressing a light kiss to it.

"No!" she yelped embarrassedly at the sudden contact, then looked apologetically at him. "I mean, I'd rather what we have be based in reality. That way, I know I'm not dreaming."

Ren chuckled, his deep voice rumbling with warm tones, "Well, our dreams may not have been prophesies of some cosmic alignment-type destiny, but I guess our hearts finally got the message through to our stubborn heads."

"Maybe, the next time they have something to say, they won't be such drama queens about it," Kyoko half-grumbled, but the corner of her mouth quirked upward in amusement.

"Considering it's the two of us," his smile mirrored hers. "Do you really think we would have paid attention if they weren't?"

"I think we've spent so much time around the President, we subconsciously developed a taste for silly stories about fate and dramatic reveals," she laughed heartily at this, and he along with her. "Next thing we know, you'll be telling me you're Corn or something."

"..."

"Ren?" Kyoko spoke his name with such ease, it almost broke him out of his stunned silence. "Why did you stop you laughing?"

 _-THE END-_

* * *

 **I MISSED YOU ALL SO MUCH: Well, I'm back from my annual pilgrimage to DragonCon and took some time out to go to my first Renaissance Festival and enter an online contest for wedding save-the-date designs (yes, you now know the horrid truth of my secret identity; I'm a graphic designer by day and a fanfic writer by night). In between all of that, I was finally able to re-write this story.**

 **I think this is the closest to what I originally wanted so I'm glad I didn't rush to finish it. I had considered a more 'magical' ending but I didn't like the concept enough to go through with it. Instead, I was much happier with a more realistic approach. Hopefully you all like it too… or not (that's always okay by me)! Also, I have not had the chance to read the most recent chapter of SB with all of my other activities, but I'll catch up once the newest chapter is out.**

 **Lastly, but most importantly, If any of you were affected by the recent storms, I hope you are all doing well and are safe. A few of my friends and family were touched by it so I'm extending my concern to all of you. Take care of yourselves!**

 **AUTHOR OUT!**


	12. Hanamichi

**HANAMICHI**

Kyoko was always at odds with the fact that she still remained youthful after over fifteen years. Not many people would be able to portray a seventeen-year-old for that long. Then again, these were very unique circumstances. Especially when everyone's ages seemed to fluctuate wildly, depending on the story they happened to be in at the time. It was a most peculiar feeling when she would be shoved back in to the body of her teenaged self; like putting on an old coat you forgot about but rediscovered many years later and found that, while it was clearly out of fashion, it still fit. The transition was much easier when she was younger, of course, as she still felt in sync with the person she had once been. Now that she was officially in her thirties, as her friends liked to remind her, it was more like walking through a distant memory.

Today was a rare occasion for her as it's not often that she would have a considerable amount of time to herself, much less an entire day. As the main character, she was the most in demand. It made sense, particularly because her official story had not yet finished. Many people were anxious to see her own personal development and that of the not-quite-blossoming relationship between 'Ren' and herself. She chuckled quietly and looked over at the man sitting on the chaise lounge across the room, curled up in a ray of sunlight like a cat and absorbed in a book with his unruly blond hair tumbling over his eyes.

It was a strange little prison that was built for them. While they all could go anywhere in the world they pleased, once a new story emerged, or an updated chapter, they were instantly whisked away to the new setting and shoved into their assigned role. As a result, most of them lived fairly close to each other and spent extended stays elsewhere when their schedules provided the occasional holiday. It was helpful to have others around when many of the non-traditional scenarios would leave Kyoko in a temporary state of confusion afterwards. While she would be conscious of the events as they occurred, it was as if she was looking on as a spectator through her own eyes; somewhat similar to when she becomes a character while acting, but more immersive.

One time, she came back to herself to find that she was wrapped in an amorous embrace with Kijima Hidehito and his mouth was on her neck where a couple of sharpened eyeteeth had broken the skin not five minutes prior—it was gone by then, of course, as it was only for the story. They immediately untangled themselves from each other and backed away with mumbled excuses of being needed elsewhere. The two of them _were_ friends outside of everything, but they silently agreed to never speak of that particular incident again.

The front door to her apartment abruptly slammed open and her Kanae stormed in, her short, black hair bouncing wildly behind her.

"Is everything alright?" Kyoko asked, concerned.

She grumbled loudly, but the only words Kyoko could make out were "never again," "goddamned playboy," "strangle" and "death wish."

Kuon raised a curious eyebrow over his book and looked at woman as she attempted to console her irritated friend who had flopped down angrily on the cream and grey sofa in the living room. She shot him an exasperated, pleading look in response. Understanding immediately what it meant, he made a hasty retreat to her kitchen. Apparently drinking was on the menu this afternoon.

"Who was it this time?" Kyoko asked gently.

"Take a wild guess," the other woman snarled, clearly still upset.

Uesugi Hiou pursued Kanae with a persistence the moment he came of age—and once puberty graced him with a generous helping of height and looks. Utterly convinced that the two of them were 'meant to be,' he managed to wear her down to the point that they eventually dated during their free time between stories. Unfortunately, things turned sour for the couple when Hiou began to catch the eyes of the other women that would show up from time to time. Realizing that there really were more fish in the sea, he promptly left Kanae and went off to sample the rest of the female population. Kanae seemed to expect this and moved on. Well, for the most part, anyway. Kyoko took a vow of silence on the amount of ice cream consumed over several morose nights after it happened.

"He's _still_ carrying on with that?" Kyoko said, almost surprised but not entirely.

"Every time, Kyoko," her friend ground out. "Every time we have a scene, he feels he has to make some colorful comment or innuendo-laden reference about our past together afterwards. I'm sick and tired of it!"

Kuon reappeared and wordlessly slipped a glass into Kanae's hand filled with ice and an amber liquid. Taking only the briefest glance at it, she raised it to her lips and took a generous sip. She sighed long and loud and raised her glass in thanks to the man who returned to his perch across the room. He nodded back at her before picking up his book.

"At least you actually _like_ the person they keep pairing you up with," she groused, continuing to nurse the drink in her hand.

"For the most part," Kyoko said airily, shooting a playful wink at Kuon who pointedly ignored her.

"Yea, whatever," Kanae rolled her eyes.

The two women chatted back and forth about the most recent story in which they were involved. Choruses of groans and 'I knows' could be heard throughout. Once her drink was finished, Kanae looked at her watch and, with a start, realizing how much time had elapsed. Placing her glass on the small walnut table beside her, she stood and gathered her things to leave.

"Got another hot date tonight?" Kyoko waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

The woman nodded, "Reino's taking me to an open-air play."

"Will wonders never cease…"

"After all of the ridiculous scenarios we've been placed in, we of all people, should appreciate the disconnect between who the writers think we should be and who we really are," Kanae lectured, then gave a wistful smile. "Besides, it's kinda cute to see him go from generic plot device villain to a man who listens to classical music, feeds ducks at the park and visits the farmers' market."

"I never pegged you as being into gap moe, Kanae," Kuon quipped from behind his book.

She stuck her tongue out at him in retaliation, "Well, if Momose-san could date Sho for all those years, then anything's possible, yea?"

Kyoko let out a snort of laughter at this, "You're going to be late, Moko."

"Yea, yea, have a good evening you… whatever you two are," she said with a tone of mock-frustration. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"That doesn't remove many options," Kuon sang back at her and Kyoko giggled.

The door closed behind her and Kyoko walked back to the living room to collect the empty glass from the side table. Once she finished rinsing it placed it on the rack to dry, she left the kitchen and sat gently next to Kuon. He seemed to not notice the intrusion but she could tell he was faking it.

"So," he cleared his throat, "is it true?"

"Is what true?"

"That you like me?" he said teasingly.

She punched him lightly on the shoulder at that comment. Kuon tried to feign looking injured but fell backwards laughing instead.

"Is it just 'like' or is it 'like-like?'" he said between guffaws.

"Kuon, we have known each other for over a decade," Kyoko pouted. "Don't you think this bit is getting old by now?"

"Not until we officially do something about it," Kuon reminded.

"We already agreed to wait until our story was over," she sighed.

"I know," he said reassuringly with a light shrug. "It's still fun to tease you about it."

"Same here," she gave him a wry smile. "Are you staying here tonight or going back to your place?"

"I dunno, it's pretty far away…" he dramatically slumped his body against hers and she grunted under the sudden weight.

'Far away' was, quite literally, across the hall from her own apartment. Despite spending the majority of their time together, they still maintained separate residences. It confused and frustrated their peers to no end, but brought them a great deal of amusement. When they were reunited through their story all those years ago, everyone declared they were a match made in heaven. However, they weren't so sure about that, especially seeing as how Kyoko never had the chance to date anyone else.

Kuon did not think it fair to stake his claim, superficial as it was, without her ever experiencing a relationship outside of theirs. Therefore, they tried their best to stay within the realm of friendship while seeing other people. As the years went by, they found themselves toeing the line between friends and lovers. It was uncomfortable at first, but they realized just how much they preferred each other's company over that of almost everyone else. By the time ten years had passed, they had straddled the line completely and, oftentimes, appeared to be playing a bizarre game of freestyle skip rope with it, much to everyone's chagrin.

However, those closest to them understood the position they took. They had been paired up so many times and in so many different ways; dating, married, divorced, paramours, you name it. Starting a relationship felt too contrived, like they never had a choice in the first place, so they grasped for what few choices they _did_ have. As such, they decided they would not be officially together until their story reached a conclusion. Then, and only then, could they be lovers on their own terms. In the meantime, they made themselves as comfortable as possible; settling in for the long wait while not denying themselves the closeness they craved from each other.

"Actually, I found this recipe for lasagna that I wanted to try out," Kuon admitted. "Would you care to partake in the experiment?"

"Do you even have to ask?" Kyoko replied eagerly.

They vacated Kyoko's apartment shortly after that, not bothering to lock any doors. The entire top floor of the complex belonged solely to them and only friends and family had unrestricted access. While Kuon got to work in his kitchen, Kyoko kept herself busy tidying up his apartment here and there before sitting down to watch a movie. He joined her when he had lulls between preparation and cooking.

It was late evening by the time his masterpiece was completed. They sat at the dining table, a bottle of red wine shared between them, and devoured the entire pan of lasagna while talking the night away. Kyoko volunteered to wash the dishes since Kuon was the chef. Once the kitchen was spotless and the dishes were stored, they sat lazily together on the couch with their arms draped around each other.

"I should probably go home," Kyoko's tone was noncommittal and she yawned. "I have to slap some girl in the face for getting too close to you in tomorrow's story."

"Well, I wouldn't want your slapping hand to be overly fatigued."

"Your concern is touching," she deadpanned.

Kyoko heaved herself up from the couch and started to walk towards the door with Kuon following behind her. When she turned to wish him goodnight, he pulled her close for a kiss. It was not an unusual occurrence, but they did not exactly make it too much of a habit. They stayed like that for a minute or so; each additional second their lips moved against each other generated an agonizingly sweet tension. Nothing was in their heads in that moment except gentle static. They parted and smiled softly at each other.

"Are you _sure_ you want to go home?" Kuon asked innocently.

"We both know I'll never make it after _that_."

He chuckled and lifted her into his arms, "Good, let's go write a story of our own, shall we?"

\- THE END -

 _From Wikipedia: A Hanamichi is an extra stage section used in Japanese kabuki theater. Generally it is used for characters' entrances and exits, though it can also be used for asides or scenes taking place apart from the main action._

* * *

 **BECAUSE THEY'RE MEANT FOR EACH OTHER IN EVERY WORLD: Help, I'm buried under all the meta! I got this idea after seeing a similar concept in another fandom and my brain wouldn't stop creating a version for SB. So, I broke down and typed it out. Not gonna lie, this one made me smile while I wrote it; mainly because the thought of Reino in a farmers' market made me giggle. Hopefully it does the same for you when you read.**

 **Also, I have not read every fic written for this fandom but tried to make vague references to scenarios I made up in my head. So, any similarities to actual stories is entirely coincidental and not meant to single anyone out.**

 **In other news, I'm in the process of creating a new multi-chapter story, but it's taking a long time to get off the ground. In any case, I'll see you all again soon!**

 **AUTHOR OUT!**


	13. Tactical Maneuvers

**TACTICAL MANEUVERS**

Sure, she was scarily adept at her role; one could not expect any less from Tsuruga's protege. There wasn't anything particularly outstanding about her in terms of traditional beauty. However, she somehow managed to capture the attention of the renowned actor all the same. At first, he assumed it was because he had taken her under his wing that they spent so much time together. It was not until he deftly maneuvered himself in the way of his line of sight when she came to visit the Dark Moon location shoot dressed as her other drama's character that he got a whiff that something else entirely was going on.

Hidehito Kijima soon began to pay closer attention to the taller man's reactions when it came to one Mogami Kyoko. He was almost certain there was something other than professional concern for the young talent. If there was one thing he enjoyed more than the company of an attractive woman, it was catching the unguarded expressions on the faces of others when they thought no one else noticed. It was a game to him, and one he derived immense joy from playing.

Of course, the fact that she was reported to look exponentially more mature and beautiful was an added bonus because, well, he just _had_ to see _that._

* * *

Fate delivered her to him on the day of the Dark Moon party and who was he to argue with fate? A prime opportunity presented itself and he was loathe to let it pass him by. Jumping in feet first, he charmed his way into getting Kyoko to allow him to transform her into an unparalleled beauty just in time for the evening's event. He was greatly awarded for his efforts and thanked his lucky stars when he saw the vision of loveliness before him. If Ren was quick to spirit her away when she was simply dressed as her drama's character, he couldn't wait to see how he reacted to his entrance with this goddess on his arm.

The initial look of shock on his face upon their arrival was quite pleasing but that could easily have been caused by Kyoko's appearance; he needed more proof. Then, came the carefully guarded smile and, next thing he knew, they were separated by two different conversational groups. No matter, he _is_ an actor after all. Time to ham it up for the crowd and see if he could work his way further under his skin. So far, the actor was doing a superb job of ignoring them, but the look of panic on the face of Ren's manager as his eyes shifted nervously between Kijima, Kyoko, and his charge, was enough to tell that his suspicion wasn't completely off-base.

He learned her naive innocence was not just a front when he attempted to lead her away to have their fortune told. Nonetheless, her vehement refusal to his suggestion of pursuing a relationship was not a huge surprise. No, the surprise came when Ren called to her and she froze in the most peculiar way; like she had been caught with her hand in the proverbial cookie jar. She looked afraid, as if she had wronged him in some way and was about to be punished for her transgression. He got this reaction from her by merely saying her name and crimson bloomed on her cheeks.

 _'Oh,'_ Kijima thought to himself. _'Well, that_ ** _is_** _interesting!'_

To think, he almost felt sorry for Ren when she strongly proclaimed her maiden's vow of chastity.

He watched as she was willingly led away to interview area and a slow smile spread across his face. This was certainly more than he bargained for but now the game was doubly intriguing. It was time to regroup his pieces and plan his next moves.

* * *

Even though Dark Moon had finished filming, he found himself on set with Ren for a commercial shoot not long afterwards. Lucky for him, he was able to get his hands on Kyoko's number through the clever manipulation of third-party influence. Armed with that information, and the clever use of colored text, emoticons and animated pictures, he was all set to lay out some bait for his co-star and see what he could reel in.

He put up a decent act of indifference at first, despite the visible sweating and incredulous expression of his manager. However, Kijima had spent enough time around Kyoko to figure out how to get her to respond to his message. It was the perfect combination of cute and kitsch that she would be powerless to resist. When his phone alerted him of an incoming message, it was nearly impossible to fight back the smirk that so desperately wanted to plaster itself across his face. The speed at which they crowded around his tiny phone screen was impressive.

 _'Gotcha!'_

The urge to laugh triumphantly was overwhelming, but he managed to keep his composure while he watched face of Ren's manager resemble that of a ripened cherry. That man really did make things way too easy, but his facial expressions were extremely amusing so it was well worth it. Ren, on the other hand, almost appeared completely devoid of emotion. The practiced smile he typically wore was gone and his face completely blank, except for the almost-missable glint of barely contained rage. Oh, this gamble had _definitely_ been worth it and paid off tenfold.

For the remainder of filming that day, an invisible dark cloud hung over Tsuruga Ren and Kijima was absolutely gleeful. He knew there was only so far he could push the actor before he either exploded violently or shut down completely. However, he needed to get one more jab in before the end of the day. Who knew when he'd see the man again? Might as well get as much entertainment value as possible while he could.

The invitation to go out for drinks was a weak cover, he was well aware of that. Really, it was just an innocent opening before he made his final attack. Unfortunately, he was not prepared for Ren's parry and riposte. He was expecting the man to be more guarded and reluctant to reveal Kyoko's birthday. Instead, he turned it around and flaunted how much closer to her he was. Not to be outdone, Kijima countered one last time; it was a desperate attempt but he couldn't let it go just yet. Since he seemed so upset by the reply she sent back earlier, he tried to poke that particular wound again.

It was to his detriment that the other man had already learned his attack pattern and put up an impenetrable defense.

"Since I'm already using the phone, wouldn't it be better for me to hear her voice directly?" suddenly, a smug smile he never believed Ren was capable of making, formed on his face.

He gaped for a moment, before his lips quirked upward and he chuckled to himself. The game was over; time to admit defeat and congratulate his opponent.

 _"_ So, the Great Tsuruga Ren finally has his sights definitively set on a woman," he said drily. "Heaven help anyone who tries to get in his way."

The smile brightened in intensity, "I don't believe I understand your meaning."

"And, what a shame, he's in denial," he shook his head disapprovingly and turned to leave before calling over his shoulder. "Good luck with that one. You'll need it."

 **-END-**

* * *

 **I CHANGED THE EVENTS OF CHAPTER 190, SORRY (not sorry): Because I always wanted to believe that Kijima was not as oblivious as he seemed and deliberately manipulated Ren and Kyoko to see if there really was an unspoken attraction between them. I thought it would be much more interesting if he knew all along something was up and decided to have some fun trying to get a rise out of Ren.**

 **AUTHOR OUT!**


	14. Dance Me to the End of Love

**DANCE ME TO THE END OF LOVE**

Kyoko had little to no interest in dancing. Being that close to a member of the opposite sex—voluntarily at that—was all but an affront to someone who had disavowed love and all its accompanying entanglements. However, by the time of her 'Dangerous Mission,' there was one person from whom she was less opposed to receiving physical contact. Sure, it made her heart ache and her stomach drop to her feet every time he did, but she was not about to ask him to stop. In fact, she selfishly demanded it from him while safely disguised under the mantle of Setsuka Heel.

And when Setsu lamented one evening in Guam after dinner that she could not stay for the wrap party, it took her brother by surprise.

"Why would you want to be around those people anyway?" Cain replied. "I thought you hated them."

"Yeah, but if I were there, I could at least keep them away from you," she reasoned.

"I can take care of myself, you know," he said resolutely.

"I know that, silly," Setsu pouted. "I just want you to promise me you'll have a terrible time"

He shrugged, but looked at her seriously, "Everything is terrible when you're not with me."

"Try telling that to the hamster girl," she snorted in derision. "She'll probably put on some pitiful face and get you to dance with her or something."

He shook his head and corrected her, "I don't dance, Setsu."

"That's not going to stop her and you know it," she countered sharply, a hint of jealousy lacing her tone. "This is what happens when you take pity on helpless animals; they try to follow you home."

She abruptly got up from her seat, picking up the dishes from the tiny table in their hotel room and placing them back on their tray, each piece clinking musically against the other. Padding softly to the door, she opened it and put the tray of now-empty dishes on the floor in the hallway. Their current lodgings did not have the usual kitchenette, so they opted for room service instead. The film's budget was paying for it anyway and they decided to fully take advantage of it. Or, to be more accurate, Cain decided and Setsu reluctantly agreed.

Speaking of Cain, he was almost too quiet while she cleared the dishes and put them out to be taken away. His proximity to her went unnoticed until she quietly re-closed the door. A tiny, surprised sound escaped her lips when she was promptly spun around and pulled firmly against his body.

The sudden movement shook Kyoko loose from the fetters of Setsu's control over her body and she looked up at the man holding her with wide eyes. He had the smallest hint of a smile on his face as he wrapped his right arm securely around her waist and lifted her right hand in his left to clasp it against his shoulder. Perplexed by his actions and nearly delirious by the closeness of his body to hers, all she could do was stare until he began to rock her from side-to-side in a slow circle. How dancing in the middle of an entryway in a hotel room with no music playing could be the most tender and romantic experience of her seventeen years was beyond her reckoning.

His eyes fluttered shut and he lowered his forehead to hers with a soft sigh. Kyoko did not think her heart, or her psyche, could take anymore and she gave full control back to Setsu in an instant. Setsu also closed her eyes and shifted closer to her brother, circling her free arm around him. They continued like this for several minutes in complete silence, broken only by the sound of their shuffling feet and the light clink of the chains on her boots.

"You can't dance," Setsu said finally—or maybe it was Kyoko, neither of them were sure.

He grunted in protest and opened his eyes to look at her. She met his gaze defiantly and smiled.

"You can't dance like this with anyone but me."

He reached up and cradled her head against his chest so that she could not see the look in his eyes. He was not quite Cain, not quite Ren and not quite Kuon; he was somewhere in flux between the three because they all felt the same way about the woman he held.

"I wouldn't dream of it," he said in a near whisper.

* * *

 **SOME TIME LATER**

President Takarada was planning a celebration for his own birthday. He refused to say how old he was going to be, of course, and no one dared ask. The only thing Kyoko knew was that it was a milestone of some sort and anything was a viable excuse to throw a hugely lavish party, the likes of which had never been seen. Because Lory _never_ does anything by halves. Especially not his own birthday.

True to his passion for the extravagant, he wanted the affair to be a grand ball, complete with opulent decorations, a full orchestra and a massive dance floor. Additionally, ballroom dancing lessons were made available to all LME employees who, by default, were invited to the celebration. The only employees who were mandated to take part in these lessons were none other than his three favorite pet projects. Kanae and Chiori both grumbled loudly but acquiesced, reasoning that it was probably a good skill to have and could come in handy for future roles. It certainly was one of the more harmless things the President ever made them do. Kyoko, of course, could not rid her head of the dreamy visions of lords and ladies spinning elegantly around a highly polished floor. It was an event that ticked almost all of her boxes—alas, there were no fairies—so she gleefully followed her comrades to each lesson for two weeks.

She took to dancing like she had been born with dance shoes already on her feet. It should not have been a surprise to anyone considering how adept she became at anything to which she put her full effort in learning. If she could learn to walk like a super model and become the lithe and lethal embodiment of a ninja, then a foxtrot was little more than a trifle to her.

The first few requests of the evening to dance came trickling in after the first half hour. Kyoko politely agreed to dance with a few of the directors she previously worked with as well as past and present co-workers, including one stammering, furiously blushing Ishibashi Hikaru. Word began to spread to the other attendees about the talent in the shimmering cobalt dress who danced with all the grace and poise of a professional. Kyoko began to take frequent trips to the restroom in order to avoid having to turn down the sudden influx of invitations when her friends were otherwise occupied with their dance partners and could not help control the crowd.

Two hours went by before Ren and his manager entered the hall, both impeccably attired in full formal dress. Kyoko's heart began doing a series of death-defying acrobatics and she suddenly felt the need to blend in with the crowd and went in search of a glass of punch. She watched him out of the corner of her eye as he made small talk with various people before approaching Lory to officially convey his well wishes. Maria, who was returning from laughter-filled spin across the floor with her father, immediately latched on to Ren and demanded that he also dance with her. Kyoko smiled fondly at this and snuck back to her previous spot while the pair made their way into the crowd of dancers. She felt like she could not be near him when he was dressed like that; the cardiac arrhythmia she got from just _looking_ at him was bad enough.

In the middle of helping Chiori recall a humorous story from the filming of Box R, a hand gently alighted on her shoulder. She noticed that everyone around her subconsciously took a step back and she looked from the gloved hand up to its owner. Ren's politely smiling face looked down at her and she fought to swallow the lump that suddenly formed in her throat. Unable to tell if he was upset with her or not, Kyoko timidly curtseyed before him.

"I heard you've already become quite adept with only two weeks' worth of dance lessons," he commented. "It seems you created quite a buzz among the guests."

"I didn't mean to," she was unable to contain the blush that formed on her cheeks. "It's my own fault that I'm an incurable perfectionist."

He chuckled and his smile softened, "I suppose I should get my name in before you run out of spaces on your dance card."

"I—," she became flustered. "I don't know if I'm up to par with your ability."

"I can't remember the last time I've had to attend a formal dance. Or if I've ever attended one in the first place," he admitted. "If anything, you'll probably end up outshining me out there."

"Oh, no, we can't have that," she protested. "Maybe I should just stay here."

"Absolutely not," he declared with finality. "I'm curious to see how much you were able to pick up in such a short time."

If there were any other options she had available to get out of this, they escaped her at the moment. Instead, she stared dumbly at him until he reached out his hand to her. Ever since she agreed to be cast in Dark Moon, she could never say 'no' to that hand. In spite of herself, she reached out and let him lead her to an open spot on the floor before the next song started.

From the moment of their _révérence_ to the very last note played by the orchestra was like watching a work of art come to life. Every wing, reverse turn and whisk was like a flurry of brush strokes on a canvas; deep blues blending seamlessly into black and accented with flecks of gold. They never took their eyes off each other and their faces glowed with delight, each wearing a smile that matched the other. Nearly half of the other couples on the dance floor stopped in their tracks to gape at the two as they whirled about, completely oblivious to everyone around them. They were so caught in the moment that Kyoko never thought twice when he brought her hand gently to his lips on the final bow.

One little dance was all it took to ring the death knell for any other potential partners. Men suddenly shied away from approaching Kyoko because, well, who could compete with Tsuruga Ren? Especially after a performance like that. Similarly, even the brashest women were too afraid to look like fools in the arms of Japan's Most Desirable. His skill level was, as usual, out of their league and the last thing they wanted to do was stumble onto the floor with him after the benchmark was set far too high.

It was a small mercy for both of them as Kyoko was still in a daze from the prolonged exposure to the blissful smile of her mentor and Ren was internally battling with a sudden feeling of possessiveness over the young woman after having held her in his arms. They stood off to the side chatting quietly with each other, unaware of the invisible barrier they put up that isolated them from the rest of the crowd. Lory stole glances in their direction whenever he had the chance and smiled slyly to himself. It never ceased to amaze him how much progress the two of them made while still remaining so innocently clueless of the other's feelings.

* * *

 **SOME MORE TIME LATER**

"I suppose I should have known you'd be brilliant at dancing too," the woman elegantly tilted her head, the soft pink color on her lips a harsh contrast against her almost predatory smile. "Was that also a part of your formal training?"

"I was a competitive dancer for a year while I figured out what I wanted to do with my life," the man lied smoothly as he swept her across the dance floor, his hand resting low on her hip and sliding along the golden silk of her gown. "And what about you?"

"I took it as an elective in college," she also lied, gliding a hand up along his collar to rest at the base of his neck. "There was a physical education requirement and I didn't really care what it was so long as it filled the required three credits."

Shingai Seiji started directing a new miniseries project; a series of standalone episodes that were more like short stories. The characters and actors were different in each episode but they all centered around a common theme; mainly the signature plots and aesthetic of older movies, but set in modern times. This particular episode was a nod to the old spy fiction tropes and he already had his heart set on two particular actors for this story.

Having tempered her femme fatale skills during her stint as Natsu, the director was looking forward to officially working with Kyoko at last. Her on-screen chemistry with Ren during the Ring-Doh test made the pair an easy pick for this particular story. His character was the young, debonair spy who used her for her underworld associations to gain important information for his mission. Her character was a wily, clever and well-connected debutante who moonlighted as an information broker when it suited her. She already knew his underlying motives and wanted nothing more than to string him along for as long as it amused her and perhaps secure some worthwhile intelligence about his employers. It was yet another take on her previous antagonistic roles but she was hard-pressed to turn down the opportunity to act opposite the man she... had very intense, and often frightening, feelings towards.

The scene they filmed where the two characters meet for the first time while dancing at a gala was one of Director Shingai's favorites. Their constant struggle to take the lead and have the other follow perfectly set the scene for their relationship later in the story where they created elaborate deceptions to try to derail each other. Every time she would try to push him through the turns, he would push back with just as much force; the two of them locked in a fierce sort of tango. They began to move faster and became a near blur of colors as you could barely tell one apart from the other. It was showy and impressive; a neat metaphor for their relationship. While both of them knew it was meaningless, no one could deny that they were perfectly matched.

The palpable tension between their characters had both actors barely keeping a lid on their own feelings as the filming progressed. Each longing look and lingering touch was so potent that even the director caught on to them fairly quickly. Were it not for the fact that each of them was so focused on concealing each slip-up they probably would have recognized what the other was hiding sooner. It was to their detriment—or benefit, depending on how one looked at it—that they were still nearer to the opposite ends of the book from each other. However, they were working their way closer to being on the same page with each passing day.

* * *

 **LATER STILL**

All the memories of their previous dances echoed through her mind as she swayed happily with the man before her. His gentle green eyes twinkled in merriment while they twirled their way around the room; the swishing of her dress' train along the ground only just audible above the steady piano melody drifting across the room from where the musicians played. She could feel the thick band of gold he now wore when her fingers laced through his. Her own corresponding piece adorned the hand she had placed on the small of his back. They belonged to each other now; in mind, body, soul and on paper.

"You really did keep your promise you know," Kyoko stood on her toes and craned her neck upward to whisper into his ear as she held him closer.

"And which one was that?" Kuon turned his head to look at her with one eyebrow raised.

"You never did dance like this with anyone else but me."

 **-END-**

* * *

 **MERRY BELATED CHRISTMAS: I had the song the title is taken from stuck in my head for the better part of a month (my fave rendition is done by The Civil Wars) and had to turn it into a story. I actually started this before I left, but I wasn't 100% happy with it so I made edits here and there when I had downtime (on a tablet, no less, with no physical keyboard... I must be crazy). So, here is your final gift from me for the year while I'm still travelling on vacation. I'll tell you all about it when I see you in the New Year once I'm back home!**

 **AUTHOR OUT!**


	15. Irritatingly in Love

**IRRITATINGLY IN LOVE: Have you ever liked someone so much it actually made you angry? Stupid feelings. Stupid ridiculously attractive men. Stupid, stupid love. AU.**

Kyoko let her head fall forward until her forehead smacked against the book that laid open before her. A frustrated groan worked its way free of her lips in an elongated crescendo. It was only her second year of university and she was already seriously contemplating dropping everything to transfer to a trade school like she originally intended. How did she ever allow her teachers and advisors to talk her into pursuing a degree in Art History? Now, here she was, poring over a dusty old book at two o'clock in the morning in a deserted library study room. She couldn't remember how many hours it had been since she last ate and sleep was more of an illusion than a reality at this point.

Gently closing the book, she bent down to gather her belongings. She lugged the hefty volume back to the circulation desk and placed it in the receptacle for returns. Waving a weary goodbye to the two overnight attendants, she left the library and trudged slowly back to her apartment. Late fall was giving way to winter and a biting cold wind pushed at her back, urging her forward and seeping in through the seams of her thin jacket like tiny, icy fingers. She pulled it tighter against her body as she attempted to mentally catalogue what she remembered to still be in her refrigerator that was edible. Coming up empty, she begrudgingly decided to stop at a convenience store on her way.

One can of hot soup and three cups of tea later, she had finally returned the warmth to her core after her ill-outfitted march through unseasonably cold weather. Kyoko glanced at small clock on the counter between the kitchen and common area; it was just a little after three. The sun would be up in a matter of hours. While she tried to justify staying up to complete a little more work, sleep won out in the end and she found herself face down on her pillow, oblivious to the rest of the world until she was roused mere hours later by the shrill shriek of her alarm.

After her first year, she assumed waking up for a class at eight in the morning was not overly ambitious. Getting up early was never an issue for her in the past as Kyoko was perpetually a morning person. However, the later, longer hours she spent outside of the classroom made something that was almost second nature to her feel like she was relearning how to walk. Silencing her alarm, she rolled her body out of her bed, bleary-eyed against the bright sunlight peeking through the curtains. Under normal circumstances, she would be able to attend her early class and return to her apartment to nap and study until her second class in the late afternoon. Unfortunately, 'normal circumstances' became a thing of the past once she agreed to participate in the Second Year Collab.

The university's Second Year Collaboration program was created to bring together capable undergraduate students who hoped to pursue a secondary degree with students completing their Masters theses. Undergrads in their second year, who maintained admirable grades during their first year, were paired up with second-year Masters program students to work alongside them on their thesis. On paper, it was a win-win for both sides; the senior students had much-needed help and the undergrads received acknowledgement in the published work and credit towards their own Masters program, should they choose to pursue it. In reality, everyone was an overworked, exhausted, shambling mess. Nonetheless, the program generated very positive results, regardless of the physical, mental and emotional toll it took on the participants.

To be perfectly fair, Kyoko was actually quite lucky. She had the pleasure of researching artistic works portraying of one of the strongest, most admirable females in history—and her personal favorite—Tomoe Gozen. Japanese silk paintings and kabuki theater happened to be one of her obsessions and she was excited to work on the project with her assigned partner. Her partner was—at least according to her classmates—the _real_ reason she should consider herself lucky. As the top student in her class, she was immediately recommended as a candidate to be paired with someone of equal caliber.

Enter Ren Tsuruga, the equally talented and handsome pride and joy of the Art History masters program. He was a consummate professional in every sense of the word and Kyoko could never claim that the division of work between the two of them was in any way unfair. He worked just as hard and long as she did, if not more so. Therein lay the very irritating rub.

She greatly respected him and admired his work ethic and dedication to the project. Then, the admiration began to stretch beyond her control and it turned into something else. If one were to ask her classmates—or anyone on campus for that matter—they'd probably say she never stood a chance in the first place. It made perfect sense that she would easily be drawn in by him. Everything about him was impressive; his looks, his talents, his personality. And everyone agreed on this. Everyone. He got an internship at the Louvre last summer, for crying out loud. Stupid overachiever.

Every time their knees would brush against each other when they had to sit close together while looking over the same book or screen would cause her face to overheat. When he talked quietly out of respect for the others in the library, his voice would rumble and her heart would forget to beat. She would intently study the materials in front of her whenever he was in the same room just so she wouldn't study the length of his eyelashes or the way his dark hair tumbled over his ears. Whenever he smiled encouragingly at her, she felt elated… and furious. He contentedly spent hours in close quarters with her as if it were nothing; leaning against her body as he reached past her across the table, picking up her hand to get a sheet of paper stuck underneath it. Meanwhile, she was slowly going insane. Stupid, obscenely handsome man.

It would have been easier to dismiss her feelings if he wasn't so damned _nice_ to her all the time. Over the course of the Collab, they developed a casual and friendly relationship with each other to the point that she felt she could speak freely about her concerns while also bantering back and forth and making ridiculous jokes to help cut the tension during a late night. Stupid, considerate, respectful man.

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

Kyoko sighed loudly as she pulled on her clothes after the quickest shower she could manage. Technically, she had a break from the program this week as final exams were taking place. But, afterwards, she only had two more weeks until the Collab was over and she was not taking any chances on getting behind on her assigned portion of the work. Not when she was that close to the deadline. Ren told her to focus on her finals for the week but she brushed it off as her classes that semester were hardly challenging and she was still admirably maintaining her GPA despite the added workload. However, this was the week she could work without _him_ being around. Finally, she could be as efficient as she was when she started the program without succumbing to diversions of the Ren persuasion. Stupid, distracting man.

Her phone buzzed beside her on the table, trapped underneath several sheets of paper. She blindly shoved her hand beneath them and picked it up. It was a message from Ren.

 _Are you studying right now?_

She sighed and typed a quick response. Didn't he say he was leaving her alone this week?

 _Yes._

Her phone buzzed again before she could put it back down.

 _Then why are you in the archive section of the library doing research?_

She looked up and saw him across the room with his phone in his hand and his deep brown eyes dancing with amusement.

 _Because I thought I could get more done without you around._

Well, it wasn't a lie, but it was vague enough that he could interpret that any number of ways.

 _Rude._

She rolled her eyes at his response and looked up again to see his face set in an adorable pout. Helpless against that face, she motioned for him to join her. The pout instantly switched to a beaming grin as he hefted his bag on his shoulder and sauntered over to where she sat. Her heart lurched in her chest when he took a seat beside her and she swallowed an irritated groan. No man should go out in public smelling so amazingly good; it was unfair to innocent bystanders. How he managed to smell both like a forest after heavy rainfall and fresh laundry at the same time was beyond her understanding but her nose certainly wasn't complaining. Stupid pheromones.

Ren pulled a chair over to sit next to her while she glared at him. Once seated, he rested his head against his hand, propping it up on the table and looked at her with a lazy smile. His index finger reached out and poked the tip of her nose. She backed away and narrowed her eyes at him.

"I thought you said you were going to study for your finals this week," he said, his voice lilting somewhere between mocking and accusing.

"I thought _you_ were going to leave me alone this week," she grumbled back.

"I kept my promise," he insisted. "I was only here to get my own work done when I spotted you across the room. What are you doing here anyway?"

"I got bored with studying and came up to compare the translated play scripts with the original materials," she replied; it was half true, at least.

"You know, most second years slack off when they aren't motivated to study," he said, gently brushing aside a chunk of auburn hair that had fallen haphazardly in her face. "You're a very unique woman, Kyoko. But, what was this about getting more work done without me around?"

"I—well, I…" she stuttered. "I wanted to work without any distractions."

"Oh?" he asked with interest, she inwardly cringed at the sound of his voice as it seemed like he was almost purring. "Is my handsome face too distracting for you to work properly?"

"Your handsome face is currently using its mouth far too much for my liking," she snarled before turning back to her laptop.

"Well, my mouth is now telling you to go home and get some rest," he persisted, reaching out to slowly push the screen of her laptop downwards. "I'll take over from here."

She stared at him incredulously. He seriously had the gall to tell her to leave?

"If you keep up at this rate, you'll be no more than a husk of yourself by the time you reach your final year and the work load triples in intensity," he said softly with a smile. "Take some time to enjoy the idle time you have while you can."

She nodded dumbly in agreement and he helped her pack up her things before sending her off with a pat on the back, his hand briefly squeezing her shoulder before pulling away. It wasn't until she made it back to apartment that she realized he successfully swindled her into leaving. His considerate words had her thoroughly convinced as they came from his mouth while she tried desperately to not stare at his lips and wonder what they would feel like against her own. Stupid Ren and his stupid kissable lips.

Kyoko related her frustrations to her best friend, Kanae, one night over pizza. They were huddled at the tiny coffee table in her equally tiny apartment with a movie playing on her laptop. Her hands flailed around widely as words poured nonstop from her about how much she abhorred being around him because he was just so damned amazing. Her friend gaped at her as she continued to babble incessantly about her partner.

"Oh my god," Kanae gasped. "You love him."

"Well, yeah," Kyoko said sardonically, as if it were plainly obvious. Because it was.

"No, I mean, you're really, truly head-over-heels in love with him," she explained. "This isn't some stupid crush just because he's good looking."

"I know and it _sucks_!" Kyoko exclaimed angrily. "I hate that he's done this to me."

"But, what if he feels the same way about you?" her friend asked.

"I'm four years younger than him," Kyoko replied, a flimsy counter argument. "Besides, he's essentially secured an apprenticeship at the Met once he graduates. Even if the stars magically aligned somehow, we'd never see each other. This is all just speculation anyway. There's no way he likes me."

"I don't know," Kanae drawled with a grin. "No one else in the Collab spends as much time with their partners as you two do. I keep hearing from the other students that they always see you two in the library canoodling with your books and videos."

"We're _not_ canoodling," Kyoko grumbled.

"Well, you've fooled half of the department into thinking you are already dating," the other woman shrugged innocently. "Maybe all that's left is to just convince yourselves."

Kyoko sputtered, trying desperately to find any words to say in response. Instead, she let out a frustrated groan and hit her head against the table. Repeatedly.

"This is just so, so—" she began.

"Stupid?" her friend finished for her. "Don't think to much on it, hun, and have another slice of pizza."

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

It was an immense honor to be included in the thesis defense. According to the rules laid out by the program, it was entirely up to the graduating student as to whether or not their partner would be included in the proceedings. Many of the undergrads would bow out beforehand for various reasons; schedule conflicts, personal conflicts with their partner or advisor and, most often, because they felt like the spotlight should be on the actual candidate for the degree. Kyoko was in the latter group, but Ren tried everything ranging from intimidation to childish sulking and she was powerless to resist such persistence.

He wanted her there.

He wanted _her_ there.

He _wanted_ her there!

She hated that she was so excited over those four words as she hurriedly dressed herself in a modest pants, blouse and blazer combo. At the very least, she was going to look like a professional.

When she arrived and met up with him, she was outwardly embarrassed but inwardly ecstatic to see that they both wore the same color shirt. They shared a brief laugh over it as they waited to be called. He ran a finger gently over her sleeve and told her he was happy she 'got the memo' about their coordinated outfits. She cleared her throat to stop a blush from spreading across her cheeks. Stupid, irrational excitement.

Kyoko really should have anticipated that he would want her to provide input when he answered the examining committee's questions. Of _course_ he would. She tried her best not to fumble through her commentary despite the fact that she knew her face probably resembled a beet. The whole time she spoke he would just smile at her like he was so proud and he _really_ needed to stop that, because she was afraid she'd spontaneously burst into flames. Somehow, she managed to keep it together throughout the entire defense but it was thoroughly exhausting trying to maintain a professional exterior when the object of your begrudged affections keeps looking at you in a way that causes your brain to melt out through your ears.

They were asked to wait in another room while the committee deliberated. Kyoko was surprised as she thought they would have to wait several days for the final verdict. For the majority of the fifteen minutes they were in there, they sat in comfortable silence—mostly out of shock that they had actually made it to this point—for the rest of that time, they made witty cracks about one examiner's eyebrows. In all fairness, they really did look like two caterpillars facing off in a duel.

When the deliberation was over, Kyoko insisted that he receive the verdict alone. She promised she would stick around to hear it second-hand from him, but this was his show and the results of their months of work ultimately decided his fate as a graduate. And, if any revisions were necessary, she swore that she'd be available to help complete them. Just because the official program was already over didn't mean she was leaving him high and dry. He flashed her a smile that nearly rendered her a helpless puddle on the floor before leaving the room.

He must have run down the hallway at full tilt from the examination room to get back to her once the verdict was given as he burst through the door panting and out of breath. She looked up from her phone at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Accepted," he gasped between breaths. "With no corrections."

Kyoko fumbled to shove her phone in the pocket of her blazer before her shaking hands dropped it. Ren had closed the door behind him and now sagged against it with a dazed grin on his face, his hair splendidly ruffled as he ran a hand through it. Before she had a chance to think about her actions, she jumped out of her chair and all but launched herself at him as he caught her in a hug. Half-crazed laughter bubbled out of them both as they held on to each other for dear life. Turning them to the side, he leaned them both against the door as their excitement and exhaustion was making it hard for either of them to stand properly. She closed her eyes and buried her face in his chest while he sighed. They had done it. It was over.

It was… over.

The realization hit them simultaneously as the intermittent giggles stopped and their smiles disappeared. After months by each other's side filled with late nights, early mornings, coffee runs, disagreements and discussions, everything had come to an end so abruptly. It was now time to go their separate ways. He had a career to start. She had a degree to complete.

"Thank you," he whispered, his nose buried in the hair on the top of her head. "I couldn't have done this without you."

"Sure you could," she quipped back in a weak voice. "It just wouldn't have been as good."

"Such modesty," he said with a laugh, pulling back took look at her.

She honestly couldn't pinpoint the exact moment it happened or who started it. Somewhere between the time she looked up and her eyes met his and the time her eyes closed again, she was suddenly pressed against the cold steel door she previously had her shoulder propped against while her lips danced on his with all the fervent energy she'd pent up over the months with him. The back of her head felt numb, whether it was from the fact that the door was frigid from the air conditioning or the fact that she was locked in a knee-weakening, soul-rending, shirt-grabbing, hair-mussing kiss with her—now former—partner, she wasn't really sure. Not that it mattered because sweet, merciful crap, this man's mouth was like being presented with a whole triple chocolate fudge cake; sinfully delicious and hers to devour.

It was most likely a delusion, she thought. At some point, she would blink and find herself still sitting alone in the room waiting for him to return. Any minute and his arm would no longer be tightly wrapped around her waist, his hand wouldn't be tangled in her hair, his body no longer pressed firmly against hers, boiling her very skin from head to toe, and his lips and tongue would not be drawing breathy sighs from the back of her throat. Yes, this was totally not real and absolutely not happening. Stupid overactive imagination.

When he pulled away and gave her a look that sent her stomach to her feet and her heart through the roots of her hair, she knew this was no dream. There was no way her imagination could create the intensity of his eyes at that moment. His nose brushed lightly against hers and their lips were only a breath apart. She wanted to run, she wanted to apologize and she wanted to curl into a ball with her hands clamped over her ears all at the same time. What in the world did she just do? What had _they_ just done? Her mouth was lagging five beats behind her brain as she searched for something to say when he beat her to the punch.

"Be the Tomoe to my Yoshinaka," he murmured against her lips.

The spell broke and she pulled back and squinted at him skeptically. "You want me to be your concubine, ride off into battle and behead a bunch of guys before you're mortally wounded and then fade into obscurity? Who knew you could be such sappy romantic, Ren."

"Okay, yes, that was super corny and not at all applicable," she could feel his laughter rumble through his chest as he chuckled. "But you know what I meant."

"Sadly, I've spent enough time around you that I do," she said, smiling and pecking him lightly on the lips. "Once you figure out how this will all work out logistically, let me know and I'll be sure saddle my horse and grab my long sword and bow."

"I believe we have an accord," he said with a smirk before pressing forward for another kiss.

Kyoko sighed happily. This stupid, stupid man. And she was absolutely stupid for him.

 _END_

* * *

 **SOMETIMES I JUST NEED A FIC THAT ENDS WITH THE TWO OF THEM MAKING OUT: Because, OMG Nakamura-sensei, you've been killing me for years with this story. I love you and I love your characters dearly but a little catharsis was in order. I actually started this late last year and it sat in my incomplete pile for months until I had the motivation to pick it back up and write a conclusion. Hopefully, you all enjoy this diversion as much as I have!**

 **AUTHOR OUT!**


	16. Blissfully in Love

**BLISSFULLY IN LOVE: For those of you who wanted to see the story from the other side's point of view. Companion piece to Irritatingly in Love. Happy White Day, everyone!**

* * *

Ren's fingers skittered across the keyboard of his laptop while gnawing idly at the sandwich that hung from his mouth. Well, to call something like that a sandwich was giving it far too much credit. In actuality, it was little more than the end slice from a depleted bag of bread smeared hastily with the salvaged scrapings from a near-empty jar of peanut butter and folded in half. It was all that was left in the barren wasteland that was the kitchenette in his apartment. Running out to get something from a nearby shop or restaurant was a possibility, but the weather had gotten far too cold once the sun went down. Not to mention, he was already making incredible headway in writing a section of his thesis and he was reluctant to break his focus.

The wind keened just outside the window near his desk, justifying his decision to stay in instead of venturing into the blustery conditions outdoors. He squinted to read the scribbled note on one of the printouts sitting beside him. His eyes were having trouble focusing and he looked back towards his screen to see what time it was. It was nearly three in the morning and he had been at that desk for the better part of six hours. Now that he thought about it, he didn't remember having to turn on his desk lamp. Most likely, it was never turned off after he first turned it on… four days ago.

Having reached the point of diminishing returns, he reluctantly went to bed. It was a better option than typing gibberish for the next hour while trying to read the text on the screen that was becoming increasingly blurry with each passing minute. Dragging his stiff limbs over to his bed, he face planted onto the pillow with a guttural sigh. He was still wearing the jeans and sweater he put on that morning but didn't care in the least about changing out of them. Exhaustion rendered him unconscious in a matter of seconds and he was aware of nothing else until the bright sun blared through the uncurtained window of his east-facing apartment.

Ren detested waking up early but, when it was a necessity, he chose to do so as naturally as possible. The jarring sound of a squawking alarm in the mornings would often cause him to involuntarily launch himself out of bed and his heart wouldn't stop pounding from sheer adrenaline until at least an hour later. Heaving himself out of bed, he showered and dressed himself in layers appropriate to the weather outside but removable upon reaching his intended destination. Early mornings had become commonplace as of late and he accepted it as part of the process of finally completing his degree. It was also comforting to know that he was not alone in this. Thanks to the Second Year Collab, he had some much-needed help.

He had nothing but good things to say about the Second Year Collaboration project. If it weren't for that, he would not be as far ahead of the game on his thesis as he was. As an incurable workaholic, he was impressed and grateful to have met his equal through the program. She worked with an ethic and professionalism far beyond her years. Though, it certainly helped that she was enthusiastic about the subject matter. His peers would tell him he was lucky to have a partner that was equally committed to the project since several others were paired with students who made only a half-hearted effort and only for the credit they would get out of it later. The rest could not, in good conscience, complain about their own partners, but his partner set the bar unreasonably high.

Kyoko Mogami, a second year undergraduate who maintained a grade point average just shy of perfect, (she would grumble openly about the one calculus professor that gave her a less than stellar final grade) surprised him by being a perfect fit as his partner. Not only was she academically astute, she was overall intelligent and incredibly perceptive. Unfortunately, her perceptiveness failed in the one area he desperately hoped it wouldn't.

Over the course of their months working together, he stopped looking at her in astonishment and started looking at her in adoration. He was unsure as to when exactly it happened, of course. These things tend to develop so organically that the gradual change was barely noticeable. His classmates would often make casual jokes, telling him to be wary that the younger woman would fall for his looks and charm. Little did they know the situation was actually reversed. He was a boulder, tumbling off a cliff and rapidly reaching terminal velocity as it plummeted to the ground below, chanting her name the entire way down. And she, she was simply amazing.

He realized he would find more and more excuses to touch her when they sat together at a table in the library or in a study room while they worked, as every time he did, it sent a thrilling jolt of electricity through him. It became an addiction, a craving he had to fulfill as often as possible, but as subtly as possible because he would hate himself if he scared her away. The way her eyes lit up and sparkled when she found an interesting tidbit of information had a similar effect on him and he would sneak repeated peeks at her face just so he could catch that moment, wishing he could freeze it in time and look at it forever. He wondered how she could take all of his odd behavior so easily in stride before he realized she never seemed to notice it at all. Amazing, oblivious woman.

At first, he blamed it on the fact that he had no time to pursue a relationship with anyone. His career was the most important thing to him and he sacrificed the majority of his spare time to cultivating it. But, as he spent more and more time with Kyoko during the Collab she began to captivate him in a way no one else ever did. She had a witty side with a playful flare and made jokes that rendered him helpless with laughter; a perfect match to his own sense of humor. Amazing, funny, puckish woman.

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

He arrived at the library intending to return a few books while swapping them out for others. This was the week he would be on his own as Kyoko had final exams to attend to. As such, he threw himself into working doubly hard in her absence so that she wouldn't be inundated by unfinished items when she returned. She was his partner, after all, and he was determined to treat her as such instead of as a workhorse like many of his contemporaries had done. Thus, you can imagine his surprise when he happened upon her in the library, working on research for _his_ thesis instead of studying for her upcoming exams. Amazing, frustrating woman.

His first instinct was to march over to her and demand an explanation when a second thought occurred to him and his mouth twisted into a sly grin. Instead, he pulled out his phone and typed out a quick message.

 _Are you studying right now?_

He watched her push a forceful sigh out through her lips before her brow furrowed in distaste and she rapidly poked at her phone with her thumb.

 _Yes._

He already had his response halfway written by the time her terse response came through. He finished it up and hit send before she could bury her phone among the pile of papers sitting beside her again.

 _Then why are you in the archive section of the library doing research?_

When she looked up at him with a piercing glare, his heart hiccuped in his chest and he was one breath away from a lovelorn sigh. He watched her slowly type a reply.

 _Because I thought I could get more done without you around._

Now, what exactly did that mean? Was he giving her too much work, perhaps? Or, maybe he interrupted her too often… like he was doing right then. He almost missed the tiny, triumphant smirk on her face as he pondered but, once he caught it, he retaliated.

 _Rude._

He saw her roll her eyes and waited until she looked up at him again before turning his charm on at full power. His pout was the most powerful weapon in his arsenal—and had been since he was a child, especially against his mother— and it only took a short time before she caved and beckoned him to join her. Grinning victoriously, he took his time making his way across the room to where she sat. A gasp was just barely caught behind his teeth when he saw the materials she had on the table. Those were the exact books he had come in to request. She either knew him way too well or she was a budding clairvoyant. Either way, he couldn't help but smile fondly at her as he pulled a chair up beside her. Amazing, mind-reading woman.

Ren gave in to the insistent need to reach out and touch her. His finger found its way to her supremely adorable nose with a gentle poke and he kept smiling fondly at her. Her face crumpled in dismay and she pulled away from his touch. It was the cutest reaction and he couldn't help the short, affectionate laugh that escaped his mouth.

"I thought you said you were going to study for your finals this week," he said, raising a curious eyebrow at her.

"I thought _you_ were going to leave me alone this week," he heard her irritated response and his smile grew wider and more teasing.

"I kept my promise," he said, rolling his eyes playfully at her impertinence. "I was only here to get my own work done when I spotted you across the room. What are you doing here anyway?"

"I got bored with studying and came up to compare the translated play scripts with the original materials," she replied and he squinted at her scrutinizingly

"You know, most second years slack off when they aren't motivated to study," he said while giving into his impulses once more and reaching out to brush aside the hair that had fallen in her face. "You're a very unique woman, Kyoko. But, what was this about getting more work done without me around?"

"I—well, I…" he watched the tiniest hint of a blush work its way across her face as she spoke and it was like throwing a tiny spark in a pile of dry tinder. "I wanted to work without any distractions."

"Oh?" he couldn't help the extremely pleased sound he made. "Is my handsome face too distracting for you to work properly?"

"Your handsome face is currently using its mouth far too much for my liking," he heard her growl as she turned away from him and back towards her laptop.

"Well, my mouth is now telling you to go home and get some rest," he countered calmly, reaching out to slowly push the screen of her laptop downwards. "I'll take over from here."

She gaped at him in disbelief and he shook his head mutely at her. As much as he thoroughly enjoyed spending time with her, she was working way too hard. Her excessive diligence was going to take a toll on her one day and he didn't want it to be on his behalf.

"If you keep up at this rate, you'll be no more than a husk of yourself by the time you reach your final year and the work load triples in intensity," he said with the most even, convincing tone he could manage while smiling gently at her. "Take some time to enjoy the idle time you have while you can."

He was honestly surprised that she put up far less resistance than he anticipated. Thinking he would have to forcibly push her out of the library he had started to collect her belongings when she joined in. Before she left, he gave her an encouraging pat on the back, ending with a light grip on her shoulder. Watching her totter off in a daze, he knew he had done the right thing. No matter how much he longed to be in her presence, her well-being was far more important. The thesis would still get done, just not entirely at her expense. Amazing, stubborn woman.

Yukihito Yashiro, Ren's advisor, liked to tease him at length about Kyoko. Having seen their relationship up close during the occasional meetings they would have with him regarding their progress, he was all too aware of the graduate student's amorous tendencies towards his partner. He also had an inkling that the young man's feelings were not entirely unrequited, but he was loathe to mention it as he enjoyed watching the whole drama play out before him. It was ten times better than the soap operas his elder sister would watch, so he was going to milk it for all it's worth. Since they had a meeting that afternoon, he wasted no time diving in when his charge arrived in his office.

"I see you're without your inamorata today, Ren," he remarked with his mouth quirked up on one side. "Don't tell me you've had a lovers' quarrel."

"Her final exams are this week," Ren deadpanned with a glare. "I suggested she take some time off to focus on studying."

"Ah, such a sweet and attentive man," the advisor trilled, clasping his hands beside his face. "She'll be putty in your hands before long."

"I thought you called me here because we had things to discuss?" Ren prompted him.

"Yea, your defense will be scheduled for the morning of the 25th," Yukihito replied with a wave of his hand. "I figured you'd want to know so you can tell your lady to save the date. I hope you'll be taking her out to dinner afterwards."

"She's allowed to attend?" Ren asked, purposefully ignoring the teasing and focusing on the most important part of what was said.

"It's stated in the rules of the program that you can have your partner accompany you at the defense," the older man explained with a glint in his eye. "Most of them decline for various reasons but, seeing as you have yet to successfully ask her out on a date, I figured this might be more your speed."

"Once my degree is finalized, I won't even be here anymore," Ren muttered, more to himself than to the other person in the room. "What's the point of asking her out now?"

"Well, if you asked her months ago, you wouldn't have wasted so much precious time," Yukihito pointed out with a shrug. "You'll only have yourself to blame when you're alone in your tiny apartment in New York and you can't stop thinking about her."

Ren had no retort for that and chose simply to fold his arms and stare blankly across the desk at his advisor.

"No witty retort this time, eh?" the other man scoffed. "Maybe you'll finally be forced to make a move when you realize your time's run out."

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

After the submission of the final draft of his thesis, the day of the defense approached swiftly. Ren used every charm he possessed to convince Kyoko to attend it with him. As her polite refusals gradually weakened, he continued to chip away at her defenses until she finally caved to his request. Her protests that she was honored to be included but thought it inappropriate eventually became quiet admissions that she was genuinely curious to see how the process worked but didn't want to impose. He assured her he was the only one making an imposition and she relented.

He needed her there.

He needed _her_ there.

He _needed_ her there!

Any apprehension he had about defending the body of work they carefully crafted over the course of the last several months was instantly obliterated by the fact that she would be by his side throughout it all. It was replaced by sheer exhilaration. He sprung out of bed that morning and dressed quickly, eager to face this final challenge because he knew he wouldn't be alone.

She arrived only a few minutes after he did and he had to turn his inner joy at seeing her wearing the same color as him into a humorous comment before his face betrayed him. He couldn't help but run a finger over the sleeve of the perfectly cut blazer she wore. The fabric was soft and hugged her curves in a way that he secretly wished he could. He pulled his hand away gently when she cleared her throat, desperately hoping he hadn't make her uncomfortable. Amazing, tantalizing woman.

Ren was unable to control himself as he stared at her in admiration while she spoke, answering the examining committee's questions. He already knew it was a smart move to include her in the proceedings, but he was in awe of just how confidently she carried herself. At first, he hoped the committee didn't notice how unabashedly smitten he was with her. Then, he realized he really did not care. Kyoko could have been a stammering, nervous wreck and he still would gaze at her like she hung the moon and put the stars in the sky just for him to admire each night before he fell asleep.

The room to which they were escorted to await the final verdict was completely empty, yet it felt nearly stifling to him. For the first time, they were alone in a room together with nothing to distract them. He did his best not to fidget as they silently sat side-by-side and enjoyed feeling of the weight of all their efforts finally being lifted from their shoulders. Thankfully, before the silence became awkward, she made an idle comment about one of the examiners that brought him out of his reverie with a start and a laugh. He then wondered aloud what kind of weapons the caterpillars that masqueraded as eyebrows might use on the examiner's face as they battled for dominance over his forehead.

Kyoko's eyes were earnest as she urged him to go alone when they were called to return to the examination committee for the verdict. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was set in an irresistible pout and he was utterly unable to argue with her. He walked calmly down the hallway, riding on the high of the look on her face when she promised to wait for him to return like a lover sending him off to war. That high was nearly quadrupled in intensity when he received the final verdict and he did his best not to betray his excitement as he robotically walked out of the room.

Ren broke into a full sprint the moment the door closed behind him. All he wanted was to get back to her and tell her the news. The grin he wore the entire way was so wide, it nearly split his face in half. And, there she was, sitting calmly and looking at her phone as if she was wholly confident that he would return with only good news.

"Accepted," he said, still grinning and trying to catch his breath from his dash down the hall. "With no corrections."

Her face brightened like a lighthouse beacon on a stormy night and it nearly caused him to implode under the weight of a myriad of emotions. Before he had time to process them all, her arms were wrapped tightly around his torso while his arms reflexively circled her shoulders. She was laughing; a high and giddy laughter that infected him immediately and he, too, found himself collapsing into giggles. Ren leaned them against the door so he could work on fixing the wobble in his knees at the feel of her against him when she nestled her face into his chest. The wobble then nearly turned into a full-scale structural failure but he pulled her tighter towards him and sighed happily. They had done it. It was over

It was… over?

The laughter suddenly seized in his throat at that thought. All of the hours, days and weeks they spent together were suddenly about to dissipate into nothing. He would be leaving in mere days to move to a city and a promising position that had everything he could ever need at this stage in his life. Everything… except for her. A dull ache began to spread in his chest and he felt adrift at sea. He tightened his grasp around her.

"Thank you," he said quietly, fervently hoping she didn't catch the shaking in his voice. "I couldn't have done this without you."

"Sure you could," she said in a tiny, but playful, voice. "It just wouldn't have been as good."

"Such modesty," he chuckled and released his arms to look at her.

If you asked him, he would gladly accept the blame for making the first move. However, the truth of the matter was that they were both equally culpable. Ren, thinking himself a gentleman, just preferred to err on the side of chivalry. However, there was nothing gentlemanly about the way his body was pressed flush against her own. His lips moved reverently against hers as if reciting an ancient prayer to ensure salvation in the afterlife. Were he to perish right then, he'd have no regrets. He was already in heaven at that very moment.

Her mouth was warm and enthusiastic on his and his entire body burned at the feel of it. When she curled her tongue to swipe at the corner of his lips, his mind experienced the equivalent of a system error and fought to reboot itself. If this was going to be their only moment together, he wanted to be coherent enough to permanently embed it in his memory. The feel of her silky hair as it twined its way around his fingers. The way her chest pressed against his when she pulled a shuddering breath in through her nose. The sound of her mewling sighs as their frenzied lips worked in tandem to drive them both insane. Every twitch and tug and tingle. He needed to remember all of this. Amazing, goddess of a woman.

He pulled away from her with some reluctance, but he needed to tell her. His heart was pounding like an entire chorus of drums in his ears as he stared into the golden depths of her eyes. It was like sifting through a poorly organized card catalog of his own thoughts as he tried desperately to create the best way to articulate his feelings. He loved her. He worshipped her. He damn near believed she was the sole reason he continued to breathe at this point. But, he needed to tell her that. He needed to tell her _something._ It was now or never. Before he could fumble any longer, he said the first thing that popped out of his tangled thoughts.

"Be the Tomoe to my Yoshinaka," he said, his lips still only millimeters from hers.

Kyoko pulled further away from him with a skeptical look and he immediately wished he'd said anything but _that_ , "You want me to be your concubine, ride off into battle and behead a bunch of guys before you're mortally wounded and then fade into obscurity? Who knew you could be such a sappy romantic, Ren."

"Okay, yes, that was super corny and not at all applicable," he readily admitted, laughing at his own flippancy. "But you know what I meant."

"Sadly, I've spent enough time around you that I do," she said and he was relieved when she brought her lips briefly to his again. "Once you figure out how this will all work out logistically, let me know and I'll be sure saddle my horse and grab my long sword and bow."

"I believe we have an accord," he couldn't hold back the triumphant smirk on his face before succumbing, once more, to the siren call of her lips.

This woman always managed to amaze him. And he prayed she always would.

END

* * *

 **YOUR WISH WAS MY COMMAND: So, mutemuia suggested I write a second version of the story from Ren's point-of-view and I found I was really interested in doing that. Also, since the story was already written once, how hard could it be to write it again... right? WRONG! It was actually more difficult than I thought it would be, but I wouldn't change a thing. It was a fun challenge and I wanted to get it done in time for White Day since it's a day about return gifts. So, I hope you all enjoy reading... the exact same story as the one before this one (but just a little different)!**

 **AUTHOR OUT!**


	17. In Your Own Skin

**In Your Own Skin**

Kyoko was in trouble. _So_ much trouble. From what she could tell, she agreed to film a commercial, but had no memory of it. She arrived on set for a filming for which she had not prepared any lines, nor did she even know the general theme to attempt an ad lib. On top of everything, she was also late. She wiped her inexplicably sweaty hands on her pants. Why did she even put on those pants? This entire outfit had absolutely none of the cute-but-inexpensive hallmarks of her usual style.

After ignoring the strange looks she received from the crew members when she apologized profusely, she was led to a dressing room where her costume was hanging in the corner. The outfit—consisting of a jacket, shirt and slacks—had a looser fit and cut to the pieces and flowed in a way that gave more room to the shoulders and less to the hips as opposed to the reverse to which she had become accustomed. She wondered if it was some designer's attempt at androgynous couture. With a shrug, she began to undress.

Okay, she didn't remember why she was wearing a tank top and shorts under her clothes. For that matter, she couldn't explain why said shorts were inexplicably thin, yet felt… oddly bulky. As she was in a hurry to get to makeup, she didn't pay too much attention to it and continued to dress. Shrugging into the jacket, she smoothed down her hair quickly without looking in the mirror. She sent a silent prayer of thanks to whatever deity was listening for the script she found sitting on the dressing table and exited the room to ask for directions to where the makeup crew was stationed.

Her voice continued to baffle her as she spoke and she wondered if she woke up suffering from the early warning signs of an impending cold or if she was having an allergic reaction to something. It was deeper than normal, had a light rasp to it and rumbled through her chest in a way it usually didn't. Being in such a rush and haze of confusion, she tried to ignore it as she plopped gracelessly into the first chair with a mumbled greeting and, yet another, apology.

Flipping open the script, she closely studied the highlighted lines as the makeup artist turned her chair to face the mirror. At first, everything was starting to come together as she read the overview for the scene. However, the dialogue caused her to wonder if she was given the wrong script. The character's lines that were highlighted kept referring to themselves using formal and informal male pronouns. Perhaps her and her costar happened to receive swapped copies. Lowering the stapled bundle of papers from in front of her, she looked into the mirror to catch the eye of the stylist and ask them and froze.

A bloodcurdling scream started in the pit of her stomach and vibrated with increased intensity as it worked it's way up through her chest and into her throat. It stopped just behind her tightly clamped lips as she stared bug-eyed at her own reflection; the squared jaw, deeper set eyes and thinner lips. She knew it wasn't makeup as the stylist had yet to start on her face. Oddly enough, it still looked like her. The chestnut hair, golden eyes and open expression were all still there. Though, the fact that she naturally now had beautifully thick, long lashes seemed a bit unfair. Still, how she was preoccupied enough to miss her flat, toned chest and… extra appendage was beyond her. It was all glaringly obvious now. And extremely uncomfortable.

Suddenly, she was deathly afraid of having to use the restroom.

She forced herself to breathe through the panic attack that threatened to render her catatonic. Whatever was going on probably had a decent explanation. Most likely the nefarious deed of some mischievous fairies. Raising the script in her hands once more, she decided to focus on the role. Perhaps, if she acquiesced to their will, she'd be freed of this bizarre scenario.

This was fine; she could totally handle this. It wouldn't be the first time she was a male. She accepted, and portrayed, the role of Kuon quite enthusiastically, after all. The only difference this time was that she had all the biological parts to go along with it. Alright, that train of thought went a little farther than she intended.

Breathing. Just keep breathing.

The makeup artist began dusting brushes of various sizes across her face. She closed her eyes and tried to meditate. It didn't last for as long as she'd hoped because, apparently, she looked like she was in a chatting mood.

"I bet you're excited to be working with your costar," they said with a knowing smile.

Not wanting to appear confused as they seemed to assume that she already knew who that was, she nodded, "I'm excited to work with any costar as any chance I get in this industry is an opportunity to grow my talents."

That was generic and positive enough to be convincing, right?

"I'll make sure to let them know when you're done as they'll want to come and collect you," the makeup artist said with a wink. "So you have a few seconds alone with them before you go on set."

She became increasingly worried as the time went by. Apparently, she was supposed to know this person but were they, too, victims of this odd reversal? Would she even recognize them in a different body? Answers would soon be coming, she realized with a growing sense of dread, as the styling cape was pulled gently away from her neck and shoulders and the makeup artist went to let an assistant know the actor was ready for filming.

Kyoko tried to lean casually against the counter, hands in her pockets and one leg bent to brace against the floor with the other stretched out in front of him. That looked casually masculine, right? Minutes later, the door to the makeup room opened and in walked a woman who oozed confidence and poise. She was stunning in a fashion-forward flowing sundress and jacket and stood at eye level with Kyoko despite wearing only a pair of ballet flats. Kyoko nearly forgot to put her hands at her sides—as opposed to clasped in front of her—when she bowed in greeting.

"Ah, good morning, Mogami-san," the woman said, her voice was calm with an ethereal lilt to it. "I hope you have not been waiting too long."

The woman's smooth voice washed over her and her mind boggled as she tried to figure out who this person was. She almost missed the placid smile on her face and the way the woman spoke as she was inadvertently sidetracked by the realization that Kyoko had no idea what her given name was in this whole situation. Kyoko was certainly not a unisex name.

Right, where were we again? Ah, yes, what was it about this person's face and manner of speaking that was tickling the back of her mind with the strangest sense of familiarity? The look of concern mixed with mild irritation she got when she didn't respond immediately suddenly rang an entire belfry of bells in her brain. Yes, she knew this person quite well.

"Ah, g-good morning Tsu-Tsuruga-san?" She didn't mean for that to come out as a question but it was too late now. "I was not waiting long at all, though you didn't have to come for me. I'm sure you had other things you needed to do before filming."

The smile on the woman's—Ren's face, she reminded herself—brightened and Kyoko tried not to wince, "The only thing I needed to do was to make sure my costar was ready to begin filming."

"O-of course, sorry," Kyoko mumbled in penitence. That smile was still a deadly weapon.

"No need to apologize, Mogami-san," Ren said sweetly, and Kyoko pondered whether or not his given name had changed as well. "Shall we go now?"

They made their way to the set and met with the director; a female, Kyoko noticed, because of _course_ that made sense when the majority of the directors in this industry were typically male. Kyoko smiled at this thought. It was at this juncture that Kyoko was referred to as 'Kyosuke-kun' and she schooled her face against the grimace that threatened to take over. What a horribly generic sounding name; like someone just made it up on the fly. She secretly hoped for something cooler, completely forgetting she had no control over this situation.

The commercial was fairly straightforward and, despite the obvious romantic undertones, Kyoko—Kyouske, she tried correcting in her mind to no avail—found herself uncharacteristically not intimidated by it in the least. Perhaps it was because she was going to be the one doing the pursuing instead of the reverse. Being in the more dominant role actually felt easier as it resonated a bit with her Natsu.

It was a perfume commercial and Ren was, of course, the lead. The product's name was 'Daydream' and the entire plot was supposedly to take place in the context of an actual daydream Ren's character indulged in while sampling the perfume for the first time. Kyoko's character would be the random young man Ren's character ensnares when she walks past and he catches a whiff of her perfume. She found she was weirdly relieved that Ren's name was still the same as it seemed to fit him regardless of being male or female.

The filming went rather smoothly considering how gangly and uncoordinated Kyoko often felt. Ren was just as captivating an actor as a woman as he was as a man and she found it easy to translate that fascination to the amorous obsession of her character. The director sought her out during a break to discuss the tone of the final scene while Ren was having his—or rather, her—makeup retouched.

"When you approach her, I really want to see the hunger and desire present in your eyes, alright? This is going to be a tight angle shot so your expression is extremely important."

Kyoko nodded at this and spent several minutes thinking seriously about how best to portray this and momentarily found herself at a loss. An epiphany then occurred rather abruptly—as epiphanies often do—and a devious smile curled at Kyoko's lips. Ren was about to get some payback. Even if this whole ordeal was just some ridiculous plot by fairies, she was going to enjoy this.

The long-awaited scene arrived and Kyoko had Ren's face in her—now much larger—hand. Now, it was _her_ turn to be the Emperor of the Night and she didn't just run with it. She got in a jet-powered vehicle and took off with it, breaking the sound barrier on her way. She felt Ren freeze and the corner of her mouth lifted slightly at the wide-eyed stare looking back at her. Reaching out with her thumb, she grazed it gently over Ren's bottom lip and heard the sharp intake of breath at the action.

Kyoko's entire body thrummed with excitement at finally beating Ren at his own game for once. That was game, set and match for Kyoko and the urge to do a victory dance was only _just_ repressed. She was so busy throwing a parade in her own honor in her head, she didn't hear the director yell 'cut' to end the scene. Ren was calling her name and it felt like her entire body was shaking.

"—ami-san. Mogami-san? You need to wake up or you'll be late."

Ren's voice suddenly sounded deeper. Huh, that was weird.

The shaking continued. Kyoko blinked bleary eyes and saw the checked pattern of a bedspread in front of her. The necklace with her intricately made pendant for Princess Rosa was clutched tightly in her hand. She turned her head and saw Ren—the actual, male Ren—looking at her worriedly, his hand resting gently on her shoulder.

Oh… OH!

She was in his guest room and must have accidentally fallen asleep when she went to pack up her belongings after spending hours learning to walk like a supermodel. Well, that certainly explained the strange dream she had. Clearly, having seen Ren walk—correction, _sashay—_ in front of a full-length mirror influenced her brief reverie while slumped, unconscious against the bed.

Well, Kyoko thought, that was just one more secret she would happily take to her grave with monastic silence.

* * *

 **HAPPY POST-EASTER/APRIL FOOL'S DAY! So, I actually do have the next chapter of Anomalous almost finished but it won't be released on time. If anything, it will probably be later in the week. In the meantime, do enjoy this hilariously fun diversion! For those of you who helped inspire this one (you know who you are), this is completely your fault!**

 _ **Special thanks to artloife for revising this for me when i didn't have the time to do it myself!**_

 **AUTHOR OUT!**


	18. And Like That

**And Like That...**

She was sitting in an empty office when he arrived that morning. A mere wisp of a girl, most likely no older than seventeen or eighteen, by the looks of it. He watched her timidly twist the hem of her ivory lace skirt for a moment before continuing towards his office. Placing his half-finished cup of coffee on his desk, he turned when he heard someone enter behind him.

"Tsuruga-kun, we finally got a witness for you to interview for that case," the man said as he walked into the office.

"You're gonna have to specify, I've got at least fifteen cases pending right now, Kijima-san."

"The fire at the host club in Kabukichou. You know, the one for which you've only managed to gather newspaper clippings and random photographs?" the man said, pointing to the whiteboard behind him that was cluttered with various scraps of paper taped to it.

"Who is it?"

"They're in Shingai's old office," Kijima said with a wink, handing him a folder. "Try your best not to eat them alive."

Entering the room he walked past earlier to find the girl still sitting there, he placed the folder and his mug on the desk and went to work pulling off his jacket. It was his best jacket, as well as the only one he owned. As such, he often took it off once he arrived at work to keep it from getting stained or damaged. After hanging it on the nearby coat rack, he turned back to where the girl sat and opened the folder to briefly peruse its contents.

"So, what's the daughter of an attorney doing at a host club in Kabukichou?" he asked, not looking up from the paper he was currently reading. "Working on a little teenage rebellion, Kyoko-chan?"

"Kyoko- _san_ , if you don't mind, please," she said in a barely-there voice. "Sho, er- Fuwa-san used to call me that and, well, it still sets me a little on edge."

He paused to look up at her, raising his eyebrows at her response.

"Alright, Kyoko-san," he corrected with a hint of sarcasm before taking another sip of his coffee. "Can you tell me a little about your involvement with the incident last month?"

"I was only there because he asked me to help him, I swear," she said fearfully, her hands tightly gripping at her skirt. "I didn't know what I had gotten myself into until I was already in the middle of it!"

"Okay," he said slowly. "How about you start from the beginning so I can get a better idea of what happened?"

"Well, Sho, er, Fuwa-san asked me to be his manager for one night. He _said_ it was because his actual manager was unavailable due to a family emergency. I found out later that she forbade him from doing this performance but he ignored her and did it anyway," she began to explain, not bothering to hide her distaste towards the deception. "Apparently this was supposed to be a golden opportunity to get him more exposure and publicity. At least, that's how he worded it. I didn't know until we arrived at the club that this was supposed to be a private concert for one of the biggest syndicates in the area. At least, I think it was one of the biggest. My exposure to anything related to the _yakuza_ is pretty much limited to whatever I'd overheard my mom talking about when she was working on a case."

"So, I take it you didn't recognize any high-profile faces then?"

She shook her head and looked down at her hands.

"I know only a little about that world. The only reason I managed to sniff out what was going on was the very obvious presence of you know…" she paused to motion with one hand along her opposing forearm, "Lots of tattoos. One of them even had a very detailed reproduction of the Glico Man sign. You know, like the one in Osaka? "

The detective nodded, then carried on with his questioning.

"Can you tell me, in your own words, what happened that night?"

"I guess so. I mean, it would have to be in my own words if I'm the one who's speaking them, right? That phrase never made much sense to me. Like, is it even possible for me to even own words? I'm pretty sure they belong to everyone."

Ren blinked, unsure of what to say to bring her back on track. He was accustomed to questioning people who said little to nothing in response.

"Um, sorry about that," she weakly cleared her throat. "I tend to ramble when I'm nervous. Which I am right now. Very nervous, in fact."

He said nothing and, instead, waited patiently, nodding for her to continue once she was ready.

"Anyway, like I said, I was only there as a temporary manager that night. They put me at a tiny table off to one side in the club since there really wasn't a backstage per se," she moved her hands animatedly as she spoke. "Well, I was coming back from the bathroom because the hosts kept refilling my glass of tea. Let me tell you, those guys are good at their job, because no one went thirsty in that club. My body was probably eighty-five percent oolong tea by the time I made it to the toilets. And I think it was the good stuff too, probably brewed in-house. It definitely didn't taste like the one that comes in the bottle with the tan label."

"And what happened once you got out of the restroom?" he prompted.

"Right, well, one of the hosts comes running out of the kitchens like demon was after him. He was shouting something about a fire. Which was weird because the kitchens were closed that night. They'd had Mos Burger delivered to the club instead. I guess, the syndicate leader's a huge fan of them or something," she added with a shrug. "So, the boss guy waves two fingers over at one of the tables and everyone sitting there gets up to go investigate. By this time, I'd made my way to stand near the stage so I could grab Sho and get him out if anything went down. Minutes go by and no one comes back. Everyone was on alert at that point and tables and chairs were being pushed over as people were standing up so I grabbed Sho and we started to run."

"Good instincts."

"Well, if you're ever in a room full of yakuza on edge, you'd beat a hasty retreat too. And that's what we did. At least, we tried to."

He noticed her voice began to shake and her bottom lip was quivering. It was obvious which part of her story was to come next. He remembered enough of what he read in the report to know that her companion didn't make it out. Before continuing, she reached for the cup of water someone had placed on the table for her with an unsteady hand and took a careful sip.

"By the time we were halfway to the door, the others had started to make a dash for the exit as well. We were only about two meters away when I felt his hand leave mine. He'd tripped over something-a chair maybe-and everyone else had started to close in. I-I doubled back to try and get to him again, but when I reached for his hand, he pushed me away," her words began to run together as her eyes filled with tears. "He pushed me towards the door and told me to get out. When I refused and reached for him again, he yelled at me and told me to go. Th-then he tried to hold off the guys behind him so that I would have a clean path to the door."

"How did you manage to get clear of the explosion before anyone else?"

"I-I don't know! I basically threw myself at the nearby stairwell and tumbled down. The force of the blast must've knocked me against the wall and I blacked out because I remember coming to and finding myself on a landing, covered in soot and bruises and my ears were ringing."

"I can see that you're clearly still upset by this, but I may I ask one more question?" he waited for her to nod her assent before continuing. "Who was Fuwa-san to you?"

"He was… he was a very close friend of mine," she said with a blush, refusing to meet his eyes. "My best friend. We grew up together in Kyoto. I'd known him all my l-life."

Her voice failed her and she broke into a fit of quiet sobs. The overwhelming urge to comfort the young woman had him reaching out to place his hand gently over hers before he realized what he was doing.

"Would you like to come back tomorrow and continue talking then?" he asked softly.

She nodded, rubbing at her eyes with her free hand. It caused him to realize her other was still trapped under his and he quickly pulled it away.

"That's fine," she agreed. "Same time?"

"Sure."

Getting up, he went to his jacket and fumbled through the inside pocket until he pulled out one of his cards and handed it to her. She took a moment to look at it before tucking it carefully into the pocket of her skirt. With a grateful smile, she got up from her chair and began to walk towards the door. Stopping just short of the exit, she turned back to him.

"There was something some of the men were shouting when they were trying to escape. A name," she said timidly.

"A name?"

"Yea. 'Rosa.'"

His brow wrinkled in confusion at her response.

"Do you have any idea who this 'Rosa' might be?"

"A general idea, based on what I've heard from my mother," she bobbed her head from side-to-side with a light shrug. "I'll tell you about it tomorrow?"

He nodded and she bowed before gliding out of the room.

He spent the rest of his day following up on a few of the details Kyoko provided during her interview. Unfortunately, Mos Burger's headquarters warned him that it could be up to thirty-six hours before they could generate a report from their database and narrow down which location would have fulfilled the catering order. After impressing upon the person on the other end of the phone that it was a matter of importance, he hung up with a sigh. Dealing with corporate bureaucracy never got any easier.

Some small amount of luck was with him when he attempted to contact Fuwa Sho's manager through his agency. Of course, she could only answer his questions over the phone as Akatoki was quick to assign her a new starlet to supervise. Since she had already been officially questioned in regards to the death of her previous charge, she was only required to answer additional questions as she was available. As such, he got to the heart of what he wanted to know quickly.

"I spoke with Mogami Kyoko earlier today and she informed me that you were aware of the fact that Fuwa-san was going accept the offer for him to perform at the club despite the fact that you told him not to?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"So, you knew something was wrong with the job, but you looked the other way when he decided to do it without your consent?"

He heard an exasperated sigh leave her lips.

"If you knew Sho like I did, you'd know there was nothing I could do to stop him short of physically restraining him. As my job does not require me to be his parent, I draw the line at locking him in a room or taping him to a chair. He is free to make his own choices-with my guidance-and, if any of those decisions result in him disgracing the Akatoki name, it is grounds for termination."

"I see. His freedom of choice only extends to the point that it's beneficial to the agency."

"Exactly," she confirmed. "Now, I had a feeling he would've asked Kyoko to go with him. He never goes anywhere without at least someone accompanying him. It was an image thing, as far as he was concerned. But, getting someone on such short notice still would have been difficult if it weren't for her. He would often laugh at the fact that he could get that girl to do anything for him. He said she was powerless to refuse him because he knew her secret."

"Her secret?"

"Kyoko had a more than obvious crush on him, though she would vehemently deny it anytime someone asked. They've known each other since they were very young. It couldn't have been difficult for him to pick up on that," her sentence was punctuated by a rueful laugh. "Then again, men are often oblivious to that kind of thing. She thought she had him fooled, I suppose."

Well, that certainly explained the blush she had on her face when he asked her about him. It really was fairly obvious, now that he thought about it. But, he digressed.

"So he knew about her feelings and used it to his advantage?"

"It would seem so, yes," she agreed. "I apologize for cutting this short but is there anything else I can help you with? I just arrived at the studio and I will be needed soon."

"No, that will be all for now. I appreciate your help, Aki-san."

He spent the remainder of his afternoon and early evening following up on other leads for a few of his auxiliary cases. Still, the last thing Kyoko told him before she left that morning stuck with him. Sure, he'd heard the name 'Rosa' mentioned in passing in the station, but it always seemed to be some sort of inside joke that he had yet to be included on since he was the newest detective to join the force. The fact that someone outside of his circle of co-workers would mention it, clued him in to the fact that there was probably something more to it than just an amusement between the other detectives.

"Does the name 'Rosa' mean anything to you?"

"Yea, sure," Kijima let out a dry chuckle. "That name gets thrown around every so often by criminals and witnesses alike."

"Who are they?"

"That's the odd part. No one really knows. Everyone tells the same story, but no one has ever confirmed seeing this person."

"So what do they typically say about them?"

Kijima gave him a wry grin before returning to his desk and pulling a folder from one of the drawers. He handed the folder to Ren, who took it with a questioning look.

"Tell you what. Have a look at this, then ask your girl what _she_ knows about Rosa and, maybe then, we can compare notes."

He took the folder home and found himself devouring the contents until the wee hours of the morning. They told a story of an invisible hand that played local syndicates and gangsters like a finely-tuned instrument. Organizations were torn apart from the inside or cleverly lured into deadly traps that whittled their numbers until there were none left standing. The sole trace left behind would be a stripe of rose-colored lipstick somewhere on the body and lab reports could never find a trace of DNA, only the manufacturer and color of the the cosmetic.

No one knew who this person was. Convicted criminals mentioned having worked for Rosa in the past, but they were always contacted via an intermediary. And, once they completed their job, they were never spoken to again. Working for Rosa was a one-time gig for anyone involved.

From the way it looked, Rosa could be anyone or no one but a clever excuse to point the finger at some nonexistent entity. Or, Rosa was a group of people who posed as vigilantes that seemed to be helping the city by systematically bringing an end to organized crime, but really just reveled in the chaos created by their actions.

This case was getting more convoluted by the minute.

* * *

"So, can you tell me what you know about 'Rosa'?" he asked bluntly when they met again the following morning.

Kyoko sat back in her chair with a sigh and her bright yellow cardigan shifted about her shoulders.

"From the way my mom tells it, Rosa's like a legend," she explained. "A demon legend. One that goes back a couple years. They were the monarch of the area, for lack of a better term. Nothing happened in that part of the city without Rosa's consent. But, when the local _bōsōzoku_ punks wanted to wrestle back control of Shibuya from Rosa, they thought they could hit them where it hurt, you know? So, they kidnapped the immediate family; parents, siblings, whoever Rosa's current lover was at the time and they tried to ransom them. They thought they could back Rosa into a corner. They thought they had the perfect plan. Right up until the moment Rosa ran a nodachi right through their own father to kill the captor that stood behind him."

She shook her head in awe before continuing.

"The family's ashes barely had time to cool before Rosa turned around and sought retribution from everyone involved in that little scheme. A lot of mouths were silenced in one week. And, after that, Rosa disappeared without a trace. At least, that's how the legend goes."

"And do you think it's true?"

Kyoko let out a short tinkling laugh before lacing her fingers together in her lap and leaning forward too look at Ren in earnest.

"I've met clients of my mother who routinely visit their local temple and carry around more _omamori_ than I know what to do with, but the thing that keeps them up at night is knowing what even the most powerful _omamori_ can't prevent. And that's Rosa."

"You never specified whether Rosa is male or female. Why is that?" Ren asked pointedly, noticing the way in which Rosa was described in her narrative.

"No one knows for certain," Kyoko shrugged. "Well, no one currently still alive. Most people would swear to you that Rosa is female based on the name and the lipstick on the bodies found in their wake, but nobody could ever prove that."

"Revlon's 'Cherries in the Snow'," he chimed in and she looked at him oddly so he clarified. "The color of the lipstick."

"Huh, interesting choice, I guess."

"Why's that?"

"The girls in my high school used to always gab about their favorite beauty bloggers. Apparently, it's a perennial favorite of theirs as it's supposedly one of the few lipsticks that compliments any skin tone," she said with a roll of her eyes. "It started a trend among my classmates and I had to hear about it ad nauseam until it finally died down."

Knowing she could potentially stay on that tangent, he brought the point of their conversation back into focus.

"Anyway, you were saying about Rosa's identity?"

"Oh, right! Well, I've heard that some believe Rosa to be a male who covers their tracks by using a feminine pseudonym and cosmetics as a calling card. Kinda throws them off the scent, if you will."

"But what do you believe?"

"Me?" she pointed to herself in surprise. "I believe it doesn't matter and I don't really know enough about it to have a qualified opinion. But, Rosa's gender has no bearing on the fact that they could silence someone in their sleep if they so much as breathe wrong. Whoever this Rosa is, they seem to have the talent to influence anyone, regardless of their social standing. Mom's even mentioned that other attorneys had been propositioned by Rosa in the past."

He nodded along as she spoke.

"Though, I don't know why they would've picked Sho for something like this," she added mournfully. "Why bring an innocent into the crossfire like that?"

She had a point, he thought. Rosa's typical pattern was to use other criminals against each other. It seemed odd that a fairly well-known idol would be dragged into the fray. Unless they needed someone to draw a sizeable enough crowd of the kind of people they were targeting. Which means Sho's manager would've been contacted by their go-between to schedule him. But, she seemed to know that the request was something he should avoid. She could've easily turned down the job before even relaying it to her ward, he thought. Why would she go through the trouble of telling him?

Because she knew how he'd react and she knew he'd deliberately ignore her warnings once the carrot had already been dangled tantalizingly in front of him. She knew he would go ahead with it and she would be blameless because she 'warned' him.

"The talent to influence anyone," he mused aloud, echoing the words of the young woman who watched him in confusion.

As his manager, Aki Shoko certainly had countless opportunities to interact with anyone from top executives in the music industry to overzealous fans. Having an idol to manage meant she had to be tuned in to the current fads of teenagers; girls especially. She would know about any current trends among them. Ultimately she carried a lot of weight and influence for someone who essentially worked from the shadows.

Ren needed to have another conversation with her soon. Very soon. He finally looked at Kyoko, the weight of everything he'd processed bearing heavily on his shoulders.

"Kyoko-san, I think we're done here," he said with a smile. "For now, at least. I may have some additional questions for you, but you've given me some very helpful information."

"Oh, well I'm glad I could help," she chirped, bouncing up from her seat and collecting her purse from where she laid it on the desk. "I gave my information to the person at the front desk when I came in yesterday so you'll know how to find me."

"I appreciate it very much, thank you."

"You're very welcome. I hope you have a breakthrough with the case!"

"I think I might," he nodded absently. "I think I just might."

With a smile and a bow, she left the office and made her way back to the reception area to check out. His phone rang, at that moment, and the vibration in his pocket startled him from his frantic pondering. Fishing it out, he swiftly answered it.

"This is Tsuruga."

"Ah, Detective Tsuruga-san, I'm calling from the Mos Burger headquarters in regards to your recent inquiry," the professional voice on the other end began.

"Yes, I appreciate you getting back to me so quickly. Did you manage to find any information?"

"Unfortunately, no," they said apologetically. "We have no records of any of our branches in any of the wards in Tokyo fulfilling a large catering order for the range of dates you requested."

"Nothing?!" he asked, shocked.

"No, sir. Since you indicated this could have potentially been off the books, we also checked for any anomalies in any of the branches' restocking orders but still came up empty."

"I see," he said in a robotic monotone as his vision blurred before him.

"I apologize that we could not provide anything helpful for your investigation. Will you require anything else?"

"No, thank you," he said, quickly disconnecting from the call and running a hand through his hair while pushing a noisy breath out of his nose.

She'd lied to him. She looked him in the eye, shed tears and even came back for a second round of questioning and she'd lied to him.

If that one portion of her story was a lie, then could he really believe that anything she said was true? He looked around the office and his eyes widened as he suddenly noticed things. Things that he'd seen countless times before when Shingai still inhabited the office before he retired. The Glico Man poster in the far corner, a gag gift from his co-workers because of his love of snacks. The faded, peeling Mos Burger sticker on the side of the filing cabinet. And, just barely visible behind the dusty computer monitor, an empty, neglected bottle of oolong tea with a tan label.

Ren stumbled out of the office in an awkward run, heading towards the front desk. His mind was racing in time to the pounding of his pulse. How had he not seen it? She basically left a glowing trail of breadcrumbs for him to follow. It was obvious, now, that the secret Fuwa Sho bragged to his manager about knowing had nothing to do with the girl's amorous feelings towards him. He knew a far more dangerous secret and he thought his position as childhood friend gave him immunity and he sought to use that position to increase his publicity through her connections to the underworld.

"Has she left?" he gasped between open-mouthed breaths when he reached the reception area. "The girl who came in earlier this morning?"

"She left about a minute ago," the front desk attendant replied. "But she was on foot, so you may be able to catch up with her."

He burst through the door and ran down the sidewalk, thankful for his above-average height as he craned his neck to see through the sea of people, hoping to catch a glimpse of a yellow sweater beneath a curtain of jet black hair. His eyes swept desperately through the crowd as he searched for the person he knew in his gut he would never find.

Kyoko confidently made her way down the street away from the police station. Countless pedestrians passed her by as she disappeared into the usual Tokyo bustle. Her steps gradually sped up to a brisk pace, the heels of her shoes rhythmically clacking against the concrete. She unbuttoned her cardigan, shrugging her arms out of it to expose the elaborately drawn fairy tattooed on her left shoulder blade, peeking just above the back of her black leather halter top. It was then draped over the seat of a parked bicycle as she passed by it without even slowing down.

The long, black hair was wrenched back from the top of her head in one fluid motion to reveal her short, auburn locks beneath. She combed her fingers through them, slicking the locks down on either side of her off-center part before tossing the wig in the opened back of a delivery scooter along with her purse. Pulling a compact mirror and a tube of lipstick from the back pocket of her fitted pants, Kyoko expertly applied a coat of vibrant rose coloring without a break in her stride. Her lips tilted upward on one side as she examined her reflection in the mirror before putting both it and the lipstick away.

A motorcycle stopped at a nearby red light, piloted by a female driver with long, dark hair. She gracefully climbed on the back of it and donned the helmet offered to her before the two of them sped away the moment the light changed. And, like that… she was gone.

\- END -

* * *

" _The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he did not exist."_

\- Roger "Verbal" Kint _,_ The Usual Suspects

* * *

 **HAPPY FANFICTION AUTHOR APPRECIATION DAY to writers and readers alike! Yes, I'm still technically on hiatus, but I couldn't just leave you all in the lurch for so long with nothing. Anyway, if you've seen The Usual Suspects, the plot of this oneshot might seem very familiar to you. If you haven't, I recommend adding the movie to your must-see list. The next story I post will also be a rewrite of another popular piece, so I hope you like these!**

 **Well, I gotta go pack so I can get ready to head to my annual conference soon. I'll see you all here again in a bit!**

 **AUTHOR OUT!**


	19. The Non-Believer's Guide to Love

**The Non-Believer's Guide to Love**

(in homage to Douglas Adams)

* * *

 _ **"There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly how a person falls in love, it will instantly cease to exist and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable.**_

 _ **There is another which states this has already happened."**_

* * *

 _Nestled snugly within the chest cavity of every human (except for one Harlan Smithsson of Chicago, Illinois, at least, according to his ex-wife), lies a fleshy, beating organ that is solely responsible for circulating viscous, reddish fluid throughout the body, thus keeping it alive. According to other, non-terrestrial life forms, this organ was widely regarded as a regrettable design flaw. However, according to humans, this liquid-pumping workhorse was, somehow, also responsible for the containment, management and distribution of amorous emotions-in a completely metaphorical sense, of course._

 _As such, the arbitrary concept of 'love' was assigned to a body part that really didn't want to be involved in the first place. No one even asked if it was alright with said assignment and just went ahead, sticking the two together all willy-nilly._

 _One man realized the absurdity of this and fashioned a new theory that would eclipse the centuries-old tradition. There was no need to lean on the crutch of a disinterested organ and every romantic encounter could be judged on its own merit. Regrettably, he met with an unfortunate accident involving circus performers and a marshmallow on fire before he could write a proper thesis._

 _This is not his story._

 _This is a story of love and it's numerous splendors and the uplifting properties of said emotion and all of that other poetic nonsense._

 _But, it is also a story of one young woman in particular, and how one mildly catastrophic event caused her fervent disbelief in love and its, admittedly, aggravating attachments. She leaves it hastily behind, like a gasping manatee in the wake of a speedboat, and learns to grow and develop without it. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, she begins to think that maybe this whole love business might be worth another try._

 _This is where our story starts, because all the other rubbish leading up to it was fairly trite and, more or less, extremely boring._

 _Girl grows up with boy. Girl subsequently falls in love with said boy. Boy throws her feelings-and their lifelong friendship-into an enormous dumpster fire with a few choice words that would make any aspiring writer cringe at the unoriginality. Girl has emotional breakdown and slowly puts the shards of her life back together with sellotape and gumption. Girl moves on. You get the picture._

 _Anyway, on to the good part._

* * *

The day started as it usually did; the sun peeked warily over the horizon, hoping no one would start any unnecessary shenanigans under its watch. The sunlight, once it worked its way from over and between the many skyscrapers of Tokyo, shone on a small restaurant hidden away on a nondescript city sidestreet. It poked between the crevices of not-quite-closed curtains, into a tiny, and fairly unexciting, room with only two posters adorning the walls.

The room happened to be the home of Mogami Kyoko, starlet and part-time waitress at the restaurant above which she lived. She had lived in it for a little over a year, ever since she moved out of the frighteningly expensive apartment she rented for herself and her childhood friend-yes, the aforementioned arsonist who started the dumpster fire. She had recently turned seventeen and wore her hair cut to her chin with messy spikes that-at least she'd hoped-served as a warning similar to that of a hedgehog or porcupine.

'Stay away,' she believed they said. 'I'm not the sort you want to pursue for any kind of romance, thank you very much'

Of course, the larger than life honey-colored eyes and the overly exuberant smile she also habitually wore-well, the eyes were hardly her fault, but the smile could definitely be worked on-were wholly counterproductive to her visual argument. As such, she was often called 'cute' and 'adorable' and 'pretty;' all terms her post-dumpster-fire mind abhorred and, subsequently, dismissed as the verbal equivalent of a typographical error.

This morning, the not-at-all-cute Kyoko shuffled bleary-eyed to the bathroom she shared with her landlords. The caw of a large, and rather angry sounding, bird passed through her window as she gathered her things to prepare for the day.

Face cloth, headband, cleanser, makeup. Yawn.

The word _bird_ floated through her mind looking for a suitable partner. The bird outside continued with it's godawful cacophony when she returned to her room to close the window and stared at the glass pane before her.

"There's a bit of film on this. I'll have to clean it later," she said, and trudged over to her closet in search of an outfit.

The nearby alarm clock, shaped like a comically round _daruma_ , told her that the time was quarter-past six. She wondered why she was up so early as she thought her first job wasn't until just before noon. Dismissing it as habit from her overworked days of balancing more jobs than she could handle, she continued pulling clothes out of her closet with a shrug.

She also wondered why she was so tired and began to suspect she might have gone to sleep too late the previous night. Typically, she kept herself to a strict routine of a minimum of six hours of rest and she believed that quota had been met for the night. The film on the window still continued to peek itself into the forefront of her thoughts as she scrabbled for a reason behind her tiredness.

Pulling on a skirt and blouse combination, she thought. Her phone. Something about her phone kept her from falling asleep at her usual time. She tossed and turned on her futon for the better part of three hours, she recalled vaguely. Someone had called her to ask if she had time to have a very important conversation. But who? She fluffed out her hedgehog spikes after settling the blouse about her shoulders. Well, she would figure it out later.

She wished she'd had a bit more sleep, however. She looked again at the clock and back towards her window, seeing the bright streaks of sunlight coming through the hazy film on the glass. The word _film_ floated through her mind looking for a suitable partner.

Two minutes later, she was out of her apartment and screaming down the city streets at breakneck speed on her bicycle towards the TBM building.

* * *

Ishibashi Hikaru was a surprisingly meek specimen of the human race, considering his position as the leader of a band and variety show host. For all of his twenty two years, he felt he had little to show for it. Sure, he was a fairly successful celebrity on television and on the radio, but the one thing he still desired flitted gaily just out of his reach like an impish fairy set on tormenting him.

He nervously paced the hallway of the studio, waiting on the arrival of the oblivious object of his affections. To be fair, he was nervous for two reasons. Kyoko's presence always held him in the mildly itchy grip of unease but, today, there was an issue with her usual costume. They had all been summoned for an early filming of a children's special. All except for the lumbering and boiling-hot chicken suit for Bo. According to the most recent conversation he had with a crew member, it was still being laundered and would not be returned for another hour at the least.

When Kyoko arrived, he pasted on a smile that he hoped indicated that everything was fine. Just fine. No costuming mishaps whatsoever.

"Thanks for coming all this way on such short notice, Kyoko," he said. "I wish I had some better news for you, unfortunately."

Kyoko panted quietly, still exhausted from her inhuman speed-pedaling through the city.

"Better news?" she asked between gasps.

"Bo's costume is still at the cleaners," he explained. "We don't know if it will get here in time for the filming, so I guess you're stuck hanging out with us until we find out for certain." He wondered if turning his irises into tiny hearts would better communicate his affection for her.

"You mean I just broke a handful of traffic and pedestrian laws to get here on time and I have to wait?" asked Kyoko.

"I'm afraid so," said Hikaru, gripping anxiously at the hem of his shirt.

"Well, do you have any idea when we'll know for sure?" she asked politely, yet clearly incensed by the sudden inconvenience.

"None at all," he answered, wondering why he suddenly imagined hundreds of angry chickens pecking viciously at his head.

* * *

By an odd coincidence, "none at all" is exactly how much of an idea the actress had that one of her esteemed mentors and friends was not merely the actor Tsuruga Ren, but was in fact born in America as the only child of international superstar Hizuri Kuu and his wife, Juliena. He was also the long-lost person Kyoko briefly met and befriended in her childhood, though the language barrier between them caused her to amusingly mispronounce his name.

Mogami Kyoko never, ever suspected this.

Or, rather, she had, but her capacity for logical thought had been somewhat skewed as a result of the previously described fire and through the clumsy and careless non-affection from her mother. However, there were several clues that should have been large, blinking red arrows pointing directly to the obvious explanation. To say nothing of the fact that the time she continued to spend around him was causing her to rekindle feelings she believed she'd banished months before. The fleshy, beating organ in her chest sighed in resignation, but continued to pump, knowing it was going to be subjected to some odd demands in the near future.

Besides his conspicuously tall stature, Ren often used American mannerisms that struck most of his peers as somewhat odd, if not indicating he had some sort of exposure to other cultures. His naturally golden blond hair and unnaturally green eyes were, predictably, cloaked beneath professionally applied hair dye and contact lenses. Effective enough camouflage, but nothing a harsh shampooing or a perfectly placed grain of sand couldn't potentially undo at the most inopportune time.

Somehow, he still managed to fly under everyone's radar. Even when others would catch him occasionally muttering darkly under his breath in English during a particularly trying day. He would look guilty for the shortest moment, before his ever-present smile of professionalism and competence returned.

"Oh, just practicing," Ren would say lightly. "One never knows when they might have the opportunity to be cast in a foreign film."

They would laugh it off and he'd go back to his business, careful to keep his idle mouth closed for the duration of his time in their vicinity.

Kyoko was piling impatience on top of the irritation she already felt, as a human is wont to do when they've been pulled from their bed early in the morning only to be told that the excessive energy they expended to respect a commitment they made was unnecessary because the other party wasn't properly prepared for them. Not to mention, she was still tired. It was a bizarre sundae of ridiculous and unacceptable, all topped with a cherry of terrible.

She tapped her foot in time with her index finger that drummed a steady rhythm against her arm. The earlier estimated hour had long since passed, and Hikaru continued to drone on beside her. It was the usual diatribes of Any Minute Now, I'm So Sorry Your Time is Being Wasted Like This, This Isn't the First Time This Has Happened, and I'll Buy You Lunch After All This to Make Up For It.

Time continued to pass, second by excruciating second, until another presence appeared by her side.

"Good morning, Mogami-san," the presence spoke.

Kyoko looked up, squinting in a mix of fatigue and disbelief at the sight of Tsuruga Ren standing beside her.

"Tsuruga-san! Good morning! How are you?"

"Fine," said Ren. "Are you busy?"

"Am I _busy_?!" Kyoko exclaimed. "Well, I've only woken up after a subpar night of sleep because _someone_ said they needed to tell me something important and I was nearly late for my job this morning only to come here and find out my costume isn't even back from the cleaners, but other than that… well, no, not especially, why?"

Sarcasm seemed like a strictly American thing and it startled Ren to hear it coming from his beloved Kyoko. Still, he shook his head once and said, "About that, is there anywhere we can talk?"

"What?"

Ren shifted from foot to foot beside her and stared off into the distance for a few seconds, as if trying to wrangle his thoughts that had suddenly scattered like wayward sheep. Then, he looked back down at her.

"We need to talk," he said with urgency.

"Fine," sniffed Kyoko. "Talk."

"Not here," he clarified. "Let's go somewhere. Somewhere quieter."

Kyoko let out a sigh that sounded enormously put-upon, "I'm still waiting to find out if I'm needed for filming at all this morning. I can't just walk away right now."

He looked at her, puzzled.

"Don't you understand?" she nearly shouted. "I'm needed. Here. For a job. Until I'm officially dismissed, I can't just up and leave with you on a whim."

"Well, you're not doing anything while you're waiting here anyway, are you?" Ren asked.

"But I can't exactly leave when the situation could change at any moment."

"Ah."

"What's the matter with you anyway, Tsuruga-san?" Kyoko asked. "You don't sound like yourself at all."

"Nothing. Nothing's the matter. Look, I need to tell you something very important and I need to tell you now. Away from everyone else. Just us."

"But _why_?"

"Because it's sort of a private thing, you know? And I don't know how you're going to react so I'd hoped you'd rather not be surrounded by a lot of people."

Kyoko stared at him, her resistance slowly beginning to weaken at the sight of him using the ultimate weapon against her. His eyes were wide like those of a young, helpless animal. The organ in her chest thrashed angrily, telling her she'd better do something about it soon or suffer the consequences.

"But what about my job?" she asked weakly.

Ren looked over at Hikaru, who had been watching the entire exchange with a look not unlike that of an animal about to meet its doom under the wheels of a speeding car.

"Can we assume, for a moment, that Kyoko's costume will _not_ be delivered on time for filming?" Ren asked the gaping man.

"Uh?" he croaked.

"Can we also assume that," Ren added, "even if it was going to be delivered, you'd be able to contact her via her phone with enough advance notice to have her return?"

"Yes?"

"So, you don't actually _need_ her to be physically here," the tall actor concluded patiently.

"Well, no, not exactly…" Hikaru trailed off.

"Right, then I will take her somewhere close by with the understanding that, if she is needed for filming, you will contact her to come back."

"That… sounds reasonable," Hikaru said. He wondered how he was suddenly agreeing to all of this so readily.

"Excellent," Ren shot him a grateful smile. "Thank you very much."

He turned back to Kyoko and offered his hand, "Let's go."

They sat across from each other in a tiny restaurant that had only just opened for the morning. Their table was near the back to avoid the chance of overly curious eyes spotting them from the street. A cup of tea sat in front of each of them and Kyoko had taken to worriedly sipping at hers despite the temperature being far too hot to be enjoyable. The flavor of the tea eventually registered in her scorched taste buds as chamomile; it tasted like hot, wet dirt. She never did care for chamomile.

"Why the tea?" she asked finally.

"Stress relief, you'll need it."

"Stress relief?"

"Stress relief."

Kyoko stared, dazedly at the mug. Between the lack of sleep and the drowsing effects of the tea, she was definitely feeling fairly relaxed.

"Did something strange happen to you today, or have you always been like this?" she asked. "Have I been too wrapped up in myself to notice?"

"Listen, I'll try to explain," Ren said. "How long have we known each other?"

"A little over a year, I think?"

"Okay, and how would you react if I said, I'm actually the boy you met ten years ago in Kyoto who you mistook for a fairy and, since meeting you again, I have fallen irrevocably in love with you?" the words poured out of his mouth at the same speed as the tea with which he was currently refilling her cup.

Kyoko shrugged, taking another sip without realizing how badly her hands were shaking.

"W-why do you think that's the sort of thing you'd say?" she asked after swallowing another mouthful of the dirt water.

Ren gave up with a sigh and Kyoko continued sipping at her tea. If she wasn't going to take him seriously when he laid it all out for her, it was pointless to keep trying.

Kyoko, on the other hand, was still trying to let the words fit into place in her mind. They danced around like drunk aunts at a wedding, bouncing each other out of the way and making no sense whatsoever. Her previous experiences had never prepared her for a situation like this, so her first reaction was to not react at all.

"This must be a Thursday," said Kyoko, slouching over her cup to take another sip. "I never could get the hang of Thursdays."

 _ **\- so long and thanks for all the corn. -**_

* * *

 **HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY FTW: So, I basically took the first three chapters of HGTTG and re-wrote it into the SB universe for giggles. I honestly didn't expect it to come out so well but, since it did, I wanted to share it with all of you. If you're a Douglas Adams fan, you'll be able to spot some of the direct quotes and references. If you aren't... well, I hope you enjoyed the crazy ride!**

 **I'm still on break, but I pre-loaded this and some other goodies into FFnet to share with you during my downtime. See you all again soon!**

 **AUTHOR OUT!**


	20. A Riddle Wrapped in a Mystery

**A RIDDLE WRAPPED IN A MYSTERY**

Her joints were on fire and, each time her feet waded unsteadily through the sand, her muscles screamed in agony. She'd been walking through the desert for the better part of three days. While she tried to ration the supplies in her pack, her water was dwindling at an alarming rate. Pulling the map from where it was strapped to her pack, she scanned it once more, carefully checking it against the small GPS that hung from her shoulder strap.

As far as she could tell, she was supposed to be quite close to her destination. Only another kilometer to the northeast to go. She looked in that direction, pushing sand and stray hair away from her face with a gloved hand, and frowned. All she could see was a mound of sand. A mound of sand that looked not unlike every other dune in that damned desert. A sigh of frustration escaped her lips and she returned the map to its previous location.

There was nothing left for her to do other than keep walking.

Upon reaching the other side of the previously mentioned, unremarkable mound, she was somewhat relieved to see evidence of an entrance. It was weather-beaten and the columns flanking it showed signs of severe abrasion from centuries of sandstorms. The two, large stone slabs that appeared to be the doors sealing the entrance were barricaded by an accumulation of sand that had collected against it.

She climbed the slope with careful steps towards the doors to get a closer look. Barely decipherable glyphs were carved into the stone surface, rounded and all but deleted by time. Reaching out, her leather-clad fingers brushed lightly across the symbols as she frowned in concentration, trying her best to interpret them. Then, the sand began to shift under her and she tumbled backwards with a shout, her momentum carrying her back to the base of the slope as she rolled head over feet.

Small mercy it was that she landed where she did. The ground rumbled and the sand upon which she was previously standing was sliding downward in sheets. Once her feet were securely under her again, she stood in awe as she watched it slough away to reveal… something.

The something was dark, lumpy and caked in sand and she was hesitant to approach it, lest she be thrown to the ground again. A loud groaning sound came from the lump. She gaped as the mass uncurled itself. Two large, furry paws stretched out in front of it and a shaggy, maned head lifted from where it was previously tucked. She had only a minute to recognize the stance the creature took before she threw her arms up to her face to guard against the spray as it shook itself from head to tail, dislodging the last of the sand from its body.

It was the most peculiar creature, she decided. At around five times her size, most would describe it as little more than a giant cat. However, this giant cat had the face of a human male. That face now frowned disdainfully down at her, its large brown eyes glaring from behind a fan of dark hair.

"So, it's a female this time. What a rare treat," a deep voice boomed from the beast. "What prince are you hoping to ensnare, hm?"

"S-s-s-s-sphinx!" she finally managed to say, still trying to comprehend the intimidating presence that sat on its haunches before her and completely missing the question that was asked.

The sphinx looked down at itself in feigned shock then redirected its attention back to her with an unamused expression. Its tail thrashed back and forth behind it, kicking up clouds of sand.

"Fascinating. Please, tell me more about myself," it said in a flat tone.

"I-I've never seen one before," she defended. "Only drawings in books."

"Well, I _am_ a mythical being," the creature lifted one paw to study it with an air of nonchalance. "It kind of goes with the territory."

"Yes, right! Sorry," she said, clumsily apologizing. "You must get reactions like this a lot."

"Pretty much every time. Believe me when I say it has gotten _quite_ old. Now," it lowered itself to the ground, curling its forepaws against its chest. "I believe I asked what has brought you here."

"Revenge," came her simple reply.

The sphinx raised an eyebrow at her, "Do you know where you are, human? Do you know whose temple this is?"

She nodded resolutely, "I do. At least, if my map is correct, this is the Temple of Lory, is it not?"

"It is, but why would you venture all the way here for that? That is not the sort of thing for which people typically come to this temple."

"I know exactly the purpose of this temple and the deity to whom it belongs," her voice was even and determined. "I seek retribution for my heart."

"Are you aware that, if your request is rejected and the deity is displeased, you will be cursed to never find love again?"

"Yes, in fact, I'm counting on it," the young woman answered matter-of-factly. "If I cannot have my vengeance, then I, at least, want to be free of love and all its ridiculous trap—what are you doing?"

The sphinx's nose was now hovering over her as it breathed in long draughts, disturbing her hair and causing it to whip about her face.

"Well, you certainly smell like a human. But, you do not act like one. What strange chain of events have transpired in your life to cause you to become like this?"

Her hands curled into fists and a tinge of red swept from her neck to her brow. An angry scowl twisted her mouth and she almost growled her response.

"He was my best friend. We knew each other since we were children and I always adored him. But, he just used my affections; knowing I would do whatever it took to help him obtain status and prestige. Once he had everything he wanted, I was tossed aside."

"And you believe you are not at fault for any of this despite enabling his behavior?" The beast asked, placidly scanning her face.

Taken aback, she sneered, "He was my _friend_ and I wanted him to succeed. Was it wrong to help him attain his dream?"

"You were the one who said he used your affections," the mythical being threw her words back at her with cold logic. "That means he was aware of how you felt towards him. So, you willingly gave him everything without ever asking for anything in return and he, in turn, became accustomed to such treatment. Thus, he kept taking and you kept giving. How is that _not_ enabling?"

"But I—are you seriously victim blaming me right now?" she asked, her previous floundering replaced with righteous indignation.

A chuckle rolled from the creature's mouth like distant thunder; it shook its head once and smiled warmly at her.

"No, I am merely trying to gauge your character. For someone so headstrong and unwavering, I cannot fathom how you let someone walk all over you."

"Love can do strange things to a person," she said in a weak voice.

The sphinx hummed in agreement.

"So it would seem. Well, human, shall we get on with the formalities? Since you seem to have some knowledge of sphinxes, I will assume you understand the terms of my guardianship of this temple."

"Kyoko," she corrected him sharply. "My name is Kyoko. Not 'human'."

"I see," it replied, lifting a large paw towards her face. "You may call me Ren."

Grasping a handful of the fur, she awkwardly tried to shake the offered appendage. Ren's flanks trembled with laughter as she did so.

"So, what'll it be? Riddles?"

"That is the typical test, yes," Ren nodded.

"Alright," she clapped her hands together decisively. "Let's do this!"

"However," the beast halted her with a commanding tone. "There are a few stipulations that need to be outlined before we begin. First, you will be required to answer three riddles correctly."

"That sounds reasonable," she agreed.

"Secondly, you can only answer one riddle per day."

"What?!" Kyoko cried in dismay. "I barely have enough supplies to make the trip back to the city and that alone is a three-day journey."

"Provisions will be made to accommodate you. Do not worry," Ren nodded to one side, jutting a chin towards the space behind her.

Kyoko looked in the direction indicated to see a small oasis that appeared out of nowhere. From what she could make out, there was a freshwater pond surrounded by fruit-bearing trees and a small shelter set up nearby. She breathed out a shaky sigh.

"Fine, are there any other conditions?"

"Yes. There is one final caveat."

"I was afraid you'd say that," she groaned.

"You need to correctly answer three riddles in consecutive order. Should you give the wrong answer to any of the questions, you will either start again from the beginning or…"

"Or?" she prompted.

The beast leaned forward, bringing its face terrifyingly near to hers. Its breath was distinctly hot as it radiated across her cheeks despite the sweltering conditions that surrounded them. It took a colossal amount of willpower for her to not wince at the closeness.

"Or, I can choose to end your life. Do you still wish to proceed?"

Kyoko gulped slowly, closing her eyes against the large face that still loomed just above her. A few seconds passed before she gave the slightest nod.

"I do have one question."

"What is it, human?"

Her baleful glare was surprisingly effective for someone much smaller.

"Apologies," Ren relented gruffly. "What is it, Kyoko?"

"If I choose to not answer a riddle, does it count as an incorrect response?" she asked cautiously.

The monster cocked its head to one side in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, if I choose to take an additional day—or days—to come up with a suitable answer, will I be penalized?" Kyoko clarified.

For being attached to a feline body, the face of the sphinx was just as expressive as that of a human. Kyoko watched the brow furrow as it pondered her question. Its features were well proportioned and angular and, were it on the body of an actual human, most would agree that it was a handsome face. Several seconds passed before it answered.

"I will not punish you should you decide to take extra time to consider your answer."

She smiled, satisfied, "Then ask me your first riddle, Ren."

Drawing itself back up into an upright sitting position, the sphinx looked authoritatively down its nose at her. Kyoko rolled her eyes at the dramatics, but waited for the test to begin.

"If you break me I do not stop working, if you touch me I may be snared, if you lose me nothing will matter. What am I?"

"Uh, wow, what happened to the standard 'what creature goes on four legs in the morning' riddle?"

It was quite an odd sight to see a sphinx shrug and Kyoko was convinced she would be unable to properly describe it if she tried.

"We are required to update our riddles every few centuries. Industry standards and all that," Ren explained.

"I'm half expecting you to tell me you're part of a union now," she grumbled.

"I am. Would you like to see my membership card?"

Ren's face was so serious, it betrayed nothing. She scrutinized it for a moment before throwing her hands up in defeat.

"I honestly can't tell if you're joking or not."

The sound of laughter surrounded her as she watched Ren curl forward, shaking with mirth.

"Never expected you to be so up-to-date on your humor."

"Sphinxes are famous for their wisdom and knowledge," it didn't even try to conceal the pride in its voice. "We also get very bored between visitors so we spend most of our time listening."

"Listening to what?"

"Anything and everything that goes on in the world."

"Sounds noisy," her face wrinkled in disappointment.

"Selective listening is an important skill to have. Regardless, do you have an answer?"

Kyoko pondered for several moments then shook her head, "I have an idea but I think I will defer until tomorrow."

"Very well. Please make yourself at home until tomorrow."

"Yes, I'm sure that tiny thatched roof hut over there will be _quite_ comfy," she didn't bother to hide the sarcasm in her voice.

"Turn your nose up at my generous offerings and I will withhold the wifi password."

She was dumbfounded. Ren ignored her reaction, getting up and slowly walking towards the cluster of trees nearby. Stopping after several steps, the sphinx turned to look at her expectantly. Adjusting her pack, she began to walk in the same direction, taking care to avoid falling headfirst into the cavernous pawprints Ren left behind.

Kyoko's shock was prolonged upon entering the modest shelter in the oasis. On the outside, it appeared to be little more than a mud hut with a roof made of palm fronds. On the inside, however, it was a small, lightly furnished house complete with white painted walls and modern fixtures. She marvelled at the electric lamps and the running water in the bathroom and kitchenette. Setting her dusty pack down near the door, she exited the house while her brain short circuited trying to reconcile the difference between the outward appearance and the interior.

She saw Ren sitting nearby under the shade of a large palm tree and approached.

"How?" was the only word she managed to get out of her mouth.

"Magic," the sphinx answered with a yawn.

"Of course," Kyoko said with a snort. "So, you weren't actually kidding about the wifi thing then?"

"I did not include it as it would make the challenge of solving the riddles nonexistent. However, I may be inclined to reconsider. Perhaps you can consult one of those online dating sites I keep hearing about and find yourself someone to distract you from this ridiculous quest for revenge."

"It's _not_ ridiculous," she defended hotly. "And I'm never falling in love again."

"Never is a long time, Kyoko. Do you really think you will be able to foster your anger for the remainder of your life? Do you not believe your heart will change?"

"Why do you keep assuming I'm not serious about this?" Kyoko countered in a challenging tone.

"Because your anger, much like your heart, will always be controlled by you until you give someone else that power," Ren extended a pristine claw from an extended paw and curled it towards her chest. "By remaining angry at this person for hurting you, you have given them the ability to control your emotions. However, you can take that power back at any time, should you make the conscious choice to do so."

She turned away from the claw, wrapping her arms around herself, "You don't understand just how much he's hurt me. We've known each other our whole lives and he treats me like I never mattered."

"I understand far more than you realize," Ren's voice sounded gruffer, deeper than it had thus far. "However, I will say nothing further, for now, and take my leave."

With that, the creature disappeared through the trees. Kyoko watched it lumber off into the distance and curl up in front of the temple entrance.

She spent the evening sitting by the fire burning a short distance from the house. It burned constantly without consuming any of the wood from which it sprang forth and emitted no smoke into the air above. It, too, was created and maintained by magic, she assumed. The sphinx's words replayed in her head as she stared at the flames licking upwards.

Would she always be able to stay this hurt? Did she really think her feelings wouldn't change at all? Ren had planted a sizeable seed of doubt and it made her uncomfortable. It felt like she was trivializing the fact that her heart had been irrevocably broken.

' _But, is it really broken? It's clearly still functioning just fine.'_

A tiny voice in her head spoke, sounding similar to her own. Its words caused an audible click in her mind as she remembered the riddle she was given.

"If you break me, I do not stop working," she said aloud to herself. "Of course!"

Kyoko took a long bath that night in water that seemed to consistently stay at the perfect temperature. The following morning, she pulled on her dusty gear and marched down to where Ren waited patiently in front of the temple doors. She stood confidently, her feet slightly apart in the sand and her hands on her hips.

"It's a heart," she said in a loud and clear voice. "The answer is a heart."

"Well done," Ren nodded. "Your answer is correct. Now, would you like the second riddle so that you may consider your answer for the remainder of the day?"

"I'd appreciate that, yes."

She watched Ren ponder silently for a few seconds and wondered if the creature was trying to come up with an easier question or a more difficult one. Hopefully the former of the two, if she was lucky. Not moving from where it lay comfortably in the giant divot of sand, the sphinx spoke the next riddle.

"I can start a war or end one. I can give you the strength of heroes or leave you powerless. I might be captured with a glance, but no force can compel me to stay. What am I?"

* * *

Kyoko spent another evening outside by the magical fire, wrapped in a blanket and staring up at the night sky. The stars were much brighter out here than they ever were when she was in the city back home. There was a rustling of trees to her left and the sound of sand being crunched underfoot. Knowing who it was, she didn't bother to look in their direction.

"I'm surprised you didn't come out here earlier," she said, still looking up at the stars. "You may be a magical being, but a shady tree still has to be preferable to direct sunlight."

"It is, but this is meant to be your temporary dwelling. I would not want to intrude."

"But, you're here now," she pointed out.

"My apologies, I thought you had already gone to sleep. I can leave if you would prefer."

"Not at all," Kyoko assured. "Please stay. While the solitude is often nice for contemplation, it gets a little overwhelming after a while. I have no idea how you manage spending so much time alone."

Ren let out a soft snort, "Years of practice."

"I should've known you'd say something like that," she laughed. "How long have you been doing this anyway?"

"Long enough," came the simple reply.

"That much is obvious. Your socializing skills are severely lacking," she rolled her eyes, but still smiled.

"Sorry, I am not much for conversations. What else would you like to know?"

Kyoko tapped a finger to her chin in thought.

"Where exactly to sphinxes come from? Are they born or created or do you just magically poof into existence?"

"That is a difficult question to answer. I only know how my own existence came about," Ren admitted.

"Can you tell me about it?"

"Not all of it. There are some… restrictions that have been placed on me that prevent me from sharing the entirety of my story," there was a bit of hesitation, Kyoko noticed. "But, to answer your question, it is a bit of both."

"It's both?!" she asked, perplexed

"I was both born and I also 'magically poofed' into being, as you so aptly put it."

"How is that possible?" Her brow wrinkled in confusion.

"Simply put, I was not always a sphinx."

"Who were you before?"

"That, I cannot say," Ren said with a frown of frustration.

"Why not?"

"Because this form is my punishment," the sphinx said, gesturing towards itself. "The details of which I am forbidden to discuss."

"Oh, I-I'm sorry," she apologized in earnest, realizing she had uncovered more than she had bargained.

"You did not know," Ren assured her. "There is nothing for you to be sorry about."

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Kyoko stared into the hypnotic flames and contemplated whether or not to ask her next question. Since Ren did not seem to be upset by her previous questions, she decided to go for it.

"How long are you to supposed be punished like this?"

"Until I find the one who can free me."

It was a cryptic answer and probably due to the secrecy behind the punishment, she decided. Still, the fact that it sounded like it depended completely on a random coincidence of events made her oddly upset.

"But that could take _forever_!" she nearly shouted in disbelief. "You probably only see maybe one or two people per year, right?"

Ren only gave a nod in response.

"That doesn't seem very fair," she said with a pout.

"Most punishments do not."

"Do you know why you're being punished?" Kyoko asked, before realizing she should stop herself. "I'm sorry. If you can't talk about it, it's okay."

"I was told that I had 'no love for myself,' or something to that extent, I believe," Ren said, but offered nothing further.

"Oh," she hesitated. "Well, I hope you find the person who can end your punishment soon."

A yawn forced its way out of her mouth and she blinked sleepily at the fire. Her eyelids were beginning to feel heavy, but she was loathe to leave Ren while she was enjoying the quiet company.

"You are tired. You should get some rest," Ren's voice was quiet, but clear.

"Just a few more minutes," she pleaded, yawning again.

The sphinx said nothing further, waiting patiently until Kyoko's eyes eventually drifted closed and remained that way.

When she awoke the next morning, inside the cabin and snugly tucked into its cozy bed, she had no idea how she got there. Still, she guessed a certain mythical creature had something to do with it. She pondered over the conversation they had the night before while she showered and dressed for the day. Mostly, she kept going over the answer to her last question.

How did someone not have enough love for themselves? Moreover, why was that so important that they had to be punished for it? Clearly, there was a large part of the story that she was missing and it was most likely one that could not be discussed. For now, she gave up with a shrug, hoping she'd be able to ask Ren more questions later.

Love certainly was a powerful emotion, now that she took the time to think on it. For it to be the reason behind such a situation seemed almost unbelievable. On the other hand, it wasn't. Not entirely. Many a famous story began, or ended, because of the creative and destructive power of love.

"I can start a war or end one," she said with a groan before smacking her forehead with the side of her fist. "I really should've figured it out faster, considering the theme of the first riddle."

It made sense, after all. The Temple of Lory was the home of the deity of love and wishes.

She found Ren sitting in the usual spot outside the temple and marched over with a purposeful stride.

"I have your answer," Kyoko declared.

"Go ahead," Ren nodded.

"It's love."

"Correct again, Kyoko," Ren said in a monotone, looking away from her. "You only have one more riddle to answer."

"So, what will my final challenge be?" she chirped eagerly.

"What do you mean?"

"The next riddle, of course," she chided playfully. "Tell me what it is so I can start thinking of an answer for tomorrow."

"Ah, I have not yet prepared one."

"Really?"

"Not many make it past the first two," Ren said, sounding slightly embarrassed. "I will need some time to think of a suitable one."

"Fine," she grumbled, folding her arms and pushing out her bottom lip in a weak protest.

They spent that evening much in the same way they had the previous night. Kyoko bundled herself once more in a blanket and sat by the everlasting fire. Ren lay nearby where there was enough of a clearing that could accommodate the creature's much larger body.

"So, is not loving yourself enough a big deal wherever you're from?" she asked, her curiosity finally getting the better of her.

"It is a complicated matter."

"And one you can't talk about?" she prodded. "Or, is it one you don't _want_ to talk about?"

Ren shot her a curious look, "... yes."

Kyoko laughed so hard her blanket became unravelled and she had to wait until she composed herself to readjust it.

"Fine, there's no point in rehashing the past anyway, I suppose."

"Says the girl who crossed a desert to exact revenge for a past wrongdoing," Ren retorted with a sardonic smile.

"Ouch, I guess I set myself up for that one," Kyoko conceded with a wince.

"You certainly made it easy."

"Anyway," she said, attempting to redirect the conversation. "What do you think you'd want to do once you're free to be yourself again?"

"I suppose I will have to find some way of supporting myself financially."

"So practical," Kyoko mocked with a smile. "There's nothing fun you want to try?"

Ren shrugged in that bizarre way again and Kyoko had to look away. It was almost unnerving to see a cat's body do that.

"Perhaps I could travel to some new places."

"I bet being stuck in this desert has given you a severe case of wanderlust," her tone was cheeky and teasing as she spoke.

A chuckle resounded next to Kyoko, "Indeed, it has."

The rest of the night was spent in casual conversation as Kyoko made suggestions of all the strange things Ren could try. Most of them involved food, which made the sphinx less than enthused. Ren never had much of an appetite and sphinxes typically did not need to feed themselves to survive, so food was not a high priority on the list of things to experience. However, the excitement with which she talked about everything made it hard to discourage her. Once she had exhausted herself by trying to think of new suggestions for Ren, she kindly excused herself for the night.

* * *

If skipping across sand was possible, Kyoko would have tried it the following morning. She knew she only had one more riddle to conquer before her wish would be granted. While that, in itself, was cause for celebration, she realized she was strangely happy to have befriended Ren. Well, so much as one _could_ become friends with a sphinx, she supposed.

"Are you ready for your final riddle?" Ren asked when she approached.

"I am."

Ren seemed unsure for a moment and shifted uneasily back and forth. After a head shake to clear away some unspoken thought, the sphinx began to speak.

"My name is 'eternity' in an eastern tongue. To find its origin, follow the path of the sun. What is my name?"

Kyoko looked at Ren carefully, her eyes narrowed and scrutinizing. Something about the riddle seemed off to her and, between that and the creature's odd behavior, she had a feeling that not all was as it seemed. She voiced her suspicions.

"Are you asking me to guess your name or the name of some arbitrary thing?"

Ren remained silent but, to her, it was an answer all the same.

"Your real name isn't Ren?"

The sphinx shook its head and she sighed angrily.

"This is impossible! I doubt I'll get lucky and have some sort of Rumplestiltskin-type opportunity to find out what it is. How do you expect me to figure this out?"

"Actually, that was the point of this riddle," Ren confessed, looking away in shame.

"You mean you don't want me to figure it out?"

"No."

"Why?" Kyoko's question came out like a breath.

"If you walk into that temple and convey your wish to the deity, you _will_ be cursed," the stern expression on Ren's face told her he had not made the statement in jest.

Her face immediately contorted with fury, brow tense and mouth snarling. An extended scoff of disgust hissed through the air after leaving her mouth.

"So, you're just going to bend the rules in your favor because you think you should save me from myself? Don't you think that's something I should be able to bear on my own?" she snapped, her previous confusion overshadowed by boiling anger. "I don't want, or need, you to protect me from my own decisions."

Even the scorching wind that swept around them seemed to quiet in the wake of her ire and the sphinx drew back.

"You are right, of course. I am sorry," Ren apologized, voice softened nearly to a defeated whisper. "I… did not want to see it happen to anyone else."

Kyoko was about to ask what was meant by that when the sphinx rose from where it was seated before the temple doors and stepped to one side before sitting again. With one paw, it motioned its assent for her to proceed through the doors. She stood with her mouth opened in shock and sucked in a deep breath; not knowing if her lungs were burning from their argument or the dry air. Shaking her head quickly, she looked up at Ren, her mouth twisted in a downward curve.

"Our agreement was for me to correctly answer three riddles. I have only answered two."

A half-smile formed on the creature's face and its eyes looked tenderly down at her.

"What creature goes on four legs in the morning, two legs at midday and three legs in the evening?"

Kyoko let out a strange combination between a giggle and a sob. There were tears forming at the corners of her eyes and she briefly chided herself for robbing her body of precious hydration. But, Ren had managed to surprise her yet again.

"The answer is 'man'," she said it so quietly, she wasn't quite sure if she was even heard.

Once again motioning for her to proceed, Ren gave her a solemn nod. Her legs suddenly felt like they had when she walked her first mile through the sand, unsteady and weak. Kyoko moved slowly towards the door and gasped when the large stone slabs parted on their own. The final obstacle had been removed and she was steps away from having her wish granted. Why, then, was she so fixated on the strange being that was previously hindering her?

At the threshold of the entrance, she turned to look back at Ren. The sphinx was lying on its stomach and looking off into the distance, all of its paws tucked underneath its body. She only had a moment to catch the sorrowful frown that marred its face and the deep heaving sigh that shuddered through its flanks before a silent cloud of sand appeared out of nowhere, obscuring her vision.

The inside of the temple was cool and dark, lit only by the sunlight streaming in through the opened doors. From what little she could see in the dim lighting, there were several marble carvings of various animals on either side of her near the entrance. The walls were painted with elaborate friezes that had faded and cracked over the many centuries. Decorative wall sconces lay tarnished and unused. Kyoko took several more tentative steps inside and nearly tripped over her own feet when the entire room was suddenly bathed in light. At first, she squinted against the brightness, but her eyes were soon blown wide as she stared in amazement around her.

It was as if she'd been transported back in time to witness the very same temple in its former glory. Torches burned bright along the walls, sitting snugly in their gilded sconces. The friezes were vibrant with color and looked freshly painted. However, all of that was secondary to the presence of people. The corners of the temple's main room were populated with several cushioned benches that were filled with people of otherworldly beauty in brightly colored flowing robes and limbs encrusted with jewelry. They draped themselves over the benches, and each other, as they talked and played animatedly, the murmur of their voices echoing off the stone walls.

Nobody seemed to take any notice of her presence, save one. Standing in the center of the room was a mustached man dressed in deep red robes that bore an intricate interlocking heart pattern stitched in gold thread. A crown of gold filigree hearts was nestled in his dark locks and, despite his average stature, he appeared to tower over the others in the room. He was looking at her with a knowing smile and beckoned for her to approach with one hand.

"Are you the deity?" she asked in an awed whisper once she was closer.

He nodded once, "My friends call me Lory. As you are now among them, you may do so as well. Now, what can I do for you, Kyoko?"

Her breath caught in her throat. He knew her name? Of course he knew her name. He was an omniscient being that granted magical wishes. It would be ridiculous for him to _not_ know her name.

"I… uh," she floundered.

Inexplicably, her words failed her. Now that the opportunity she'd been working so hard to obtain was before her, she found herself at a loss. This had been the whole reason for her journey here, but the strong desire she had for her wish to be granted had waned to the point that she couldn't bring herself to properly vocalize it.

"Lost the conviction that brought you here originally, have you?" Lory guessed.

Kyoko nodded.

"For the longest while, I didn't think I'd even make it this far."

"And yet, you persevered. Why?" the deity asked.

"Because I thought revenge was what I wanted," she replied honestly. "What I needed."

"And now?" the man prompted.

"I-I don't know. It somehow seems less important now," she said, wringing her hands.

A light laugh left Lory's mouth and he moved closer towards Kyoko, putting an arm about her shoulders. For a deity that suddenly materialized out of thin air, he was surprisingly warm and solid.

"Out of all the people who come here in search of what they think will be the answer to their problems, many find the answer long before they even get to voice their request," he explained, looking down at her with a kind smile. "If I am honest, I actually prefer those instances."

"What about the ones who don't?"

"Those, I judge on the strength of their conviction," he stated before adding, "and the nature of their request, of course."

"So it's true that you really have cursed someone to never love again?"

This time, the deity's laugh was a hearty one and his brown eyes twinkled with amusement.

"No, that is a bit of a rumor, I'm afraid. I am a deity of love and wishes. Cursing someone to never love again would be quite the antithesis. I merely create a suitable punishment to teach a person the lesson they needed to learn."

"Oh," Kyoko was unsure as to what else she could say.

"You have already seen the results of one such punishment," Lory said, nodding towards the temple's entrance.

Her eyes opened wide in realization as the meaning behind his words became clear.

"You mean…" she couldn't bring herself to finish her sentence.

"Yes," Lory confirmed. "He was a unique case, that one. Wanted to trade his life for that of his closest friend, despite the fact that said friend willingly gave up their life for his benefit. Since he did not value the life someone fought, and died, to preserve, I thought it best that he had some time to appreciate the value of the sacrifice that was made."

"So you turned him into a sphinx?" She didn't quite understand the reason behind his chosen punishment.

"He has been able to see the world grow and change, but not be a part of it. It was only fitting, considering his haste to leave it following his friend's death. Well, that and it seemed like a good idea to have a guardian for my temple. It helps separate the wheat from the chaff, so to speak," he added, unashamed. "However, should he wish to rejoin it, he has only to request that someone restore his name to him."

"That third riddle," Kyoko mused aloud, looking up at the man beside her. "He asked me for his name."

"Then, it would seem that he is ready to return," he said with a satisfied smile.

"Can you tell me what his name is?" she asked in a hopeful voice. "I wish to help him."

"That, I cannot do," he waved a nonchalant hand. "The magic that maintains his current form will not release unless someone discovers his name on their own. However, you are in luck as he is one of your own people. You already have everything you need to free him."

"What?! How? Please, I need more information or a hint or something!" she cried in desperation.

"Do not fret, Kyoko," Lory soothed. "You explicitly said that you _wished_ to help him and I have granted that wish. Believe me when I say you have everything you need. And, believe in yourself as well."

A breeze rushed into the temple, extinguishing all the torches at once. Kyoko found herself standing in an ancient, dusty room once more. The doors were still open and she followed the light until she was outside. Looking around, she was surprised to find no trace of Ren anywhere. The oasis where she spent the past few days had disappeared, leaving behind nothing but rolling dunes of sand. In the distance the sun was setting, glowing red and floating just above the horizon in the pale, hazy sky.

' _...he is one of your own people.'_

A shudder passed through her as the scene triggered a keen realization within her. She assumed the reason Ren could converse with her in her native tongue was because he was a being of magical origin. She did not consider that it could have been a language he already grew up knowing.

"Ren! Ren, where are you? I know your name and I can release you from your curse!" she shouted across the sand.

No response came and she frowned. Where had he gone? While it was true that his purpose as the temple guardian had been fulfilled, she couldn't imagine that he would just disappear after she gained entry. Wasn't he supposed to remain at his post where she originally found him?

Her eyes swept back and forth and landed on a mound that sat undisturbed off to one side near the entrance. Kyoko quickly ran over to it and pushed a hand deep into the sand, dislodging the grains. When her fingers made contact with fur, she laughed triumphantly. She tangled her fingers through the fur until her hand pressed against the warm flesh that lay beneath. It was definitely him; she was sure of it. She rested her forehead against the mound in relief.

"Kuon," she whispered into the sand.

The wind picked and swirled violently around her. The cloud of dust she witnessed earlier returned and she found herself unable to see anything but shades of brown and grey. Her outstretched hand lost its grip and she stumbled backwards with a yelp, nearly falling over. She felt something grab her by the wrist, steadying her.

The wind died down as quickly as it had started and Kyoko noticed she was no longer in the midst of a desert. She was in a city. Her city. The lights, people, buildings and sounds all familiar to her. The only new addition was the man standing across from her, his hand still wrapped firmly around her wrist. He gaped at her in astonishment, his green eyes round and large as saucers and his mouth hanging open.

She was right, his face was quite handsome when attached to a human body, as opposed to that of a giant feline. His hair was now as gold as straw, but she knew it was him. He broke away from staring at her face to look at the city around them. Kyoko took that moment to get a better look at his clothing, noticing the plain blue shirt and dark jeans he wore.

"Exactly how long were you like that?" she asked, confused by his fairly modern style of dress.

"About ten years," he answered in a voice much smaller than it previously had been, but no less deep.

"Well, you certainly made it sound like you'd been out there for centuries," she said, equally irritated and impressed. "Perhaps you should pursue a career in acting."

Kuon shrugged, still holding on to her hand.

"Anyway, welcome home, I guess?"

He shook his head, continuing to look around him, "My family is from here, but this isn't my home. I was born in another country."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Is there something I can do to help you get there?"

"No, but I'm not so sure I want to go back," Kuon said frankly, thinking out loud.

"But, what about your family?"

"I ran away from them in the first place," he explained. "I don't think suddenly showing up on their doorstep and trying to explain where I've been for over a decade would go over very well."

Well, he certainly had a point. How _does_ one explain that they were transformed into a sphinx without sounding insane?

"Besides, I think I already know someone here anyway," he added. "And, I think I'd like to get to know them a little better."

Kuon smiled widely at her and Kyoko found herself doing the same.

"I think I'd like that as well."

-END-

* * *

 **ALTERNATE ENDING: Kyoko gets her wish and is also turned into a sphinx and they live happily ever after in the desert.**

 **I fully blame Daamile and my overactive imagination for this one. She started suggesting strange mythical creature AUs and I made a sphinx comment in jest... then realized I absolutely HAD to turn it into a story. Roughly seven thousand words later... here we are!**

 **Well, I hope it was enjoyable and not utter trash. Still on break, but not really apparently, 'cause I'm still writing (haha, welcome to my life).**

 **AUTHOR OUT!**


	21. Heated Games

**HEATED GAMES**

* * *

 _ **How do you get a D &D player to go out with you?**_

 _You ask them for a d8_

* * *

"...I rolled a 1," came the dejected reply.

"Then Kyoko falls off and hits her head on the chair on the way down, taking damage."

"Can I try for a save?"

"If you'd like."

She rolls again and whines at the result, short brown hair falling over her face as she hangs her head in defeat. The GM winces sympathetically.

"Ouch, yea, that won't be enough. Let's find out how much the damage will be…"

The person sitting beside her interjects at this moment, waving a frantic hand at the GM.

"Wait! My Agility's pretty high. Can I try to save her?"

"But you're all the way in another room," she protested, taking the conversation outside of the game. "Besides, why would you even want to save me?"

"Rescue a beautiful woman from certain peril? Why wouldn't I?"

"Of course," she deadpanned. "I forget you're a sucker for overwrought heroics."

"Ouch, you wound me."

"I'm sure your ego has taken worse hits. You'll live."

"Ah, but you've made a critical hit on my heart. I may never recover."

He dramatically clasped a hand to his chest and playfully batted his eyes at her. Her face flushed and she quickly looked down to avoid scrutiny. The GM was oddly thankful he had his binder to hide behind so that no one caught the knowing smirk he had on his face. The other man shrugged.

"Anyway, can I roll?"

The GM checks his notes and nods.

"Your Perception is high enough that you would have heard her cry out so, sure, go ahead."

Blowing on the die once for luck, he rolled it in his hand and let go with a flick of his wrist. It rolled several times across the tabletop before stopping with a wobble. He crowed and pumped his fist at the result.

"Natural 20, baby. Oh yeah!"

The GM checks his notes again.

"Looks like Ren makes it just in time to save Kyoko. It was a narrow rescue, so both of them end up on the ground."

The younger man coughs once, weighing his next question for a moment before he speaks.

"So, uh, how are we positioned?"

"What?"

Genuinely confused, the GM looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"We're both on the floor but where are we in respect to each other?" he clarified. "Are we lying side-by-side? Is she on top of me?"

The GM narrowed his eyes at the man, then his expression softened and he shrugged.

"You're on top of her and you're facing each other."

The man stroked at his chin thoughtfully before devilish grin spread across his face and he turned to the woman sitting beside him. Instinctively, she leaned away from him in anticipation of whatever action he was considering next. She rolled her eyes and gave him her sharpest glare, as if daring him to try something. It was her folly as this was the just the sort of encouragement he needed.

"I swear, if you even _think_ of trying-"

"I'm gonna kiss her."

"WHAT?!" the GM and young woman shouted in unison.

At the sound of the chorus of cries, a petite woman came running out of the kitchen with a drink in her hand.

"Wait, what'd I miss?"

"Ren's going to try kissing Kyoko."

At first, only her shoulders shook and she gripped the glass tighter to make sure it didn't accidentally drop. It wasn't long before loud guffaws came pouring out of her mouth and she was doubled over in laughter. When her howls finally died down, she wiped at her eyes and caught her breath.

"Okay. Good luck with that, kid."

"No, she can't have him! Ren's mine!"

Everyone's attention turned to the little girl sitting on the sofa, her collection of dolls now forgotten. Her mother gave her a disappointed frown.

"Sweetie, you were supposed to be in bed two hours ago."

"But Daddy said I could stay up and play."

Placing her drink on the table, she went over to the girl and picked her up off the couch. She shot a disapproving look to the GM who shook his head.

"I said you could stay up as long as your character was still in the group, but you left to go play with your dolls."

The little girl tried to pout as adorably as possible to try and dissuade her parents. It wasn't working, so she tried another tactic.

"But I can't go to bed _now_! I have to see what happens."

"I'll admit, I'm curious too," her mother chimed in.

The threesome still seated at the table looked incredulously at her and her daughter. She shrugged it off and adjusted her hold on the girl's waist. With one hand free, she motioned for them to continue.

"Well, go on already and kiss her!"

"You're seriously doing this?" the woman at the table asked in disbelief.

"Ren's supposed to be learning how to convincingly portray a character in love and he's pretty much got a beautiful girl served up just for him on a platter. He might as well go for it, right?"

" _Un_ believable," she grumbled.

"Are you upset that the kiss is only in the game and won't be happening for real?"

He waggled his eyebrows at the woman sitting next to him, his green eyes dancing with mischief. She snorted and looked away from him before he could see the traces of pink that had scattered across her cheeks. Crossing her arms defiantly, she looked askance at him from the corners of her eyes.

"You're being ridiculous," she retorted.

The GM cleared his throat to direct their attention back to him and away from their distracting banter.

"We'll have to put this to a contest. Both of you must roll a Charisma check."

"I hope you're prepared 'Kyoko,' my Charisma is higher than yours."

"I hope _you_ realize, 'Ren,' that you're most likely at a disadvantage for this check."

They stare each other down as they roll, neither taking their eyes off the other until the dice come to a stop on the table. The GM peers over the top of his binder at the final results.

"Woo! 18!"

"... 12. Please, tell me I have an advantage."

"Kyoko actually _does_ have the advantage here and she gets a bonus for being in the more vulnerable position. So that puts you… at a tie. Kyoko remains unkissed and the both of you are still on the floor."

The man scoffs incredulously at the GM's words while the woman breathes a sigh of relief. The little girl cheers from across the room before she is hurriedly rushed upstairs to be put to bed. The GM pointedly ignores them all and continues while scratching idly at his mustache.

"Ren will have to come up with an explanation or else Kyoko's Perception is going to pick up on the situation."

"I'll use Persuasion to bluff my way out then."

"Oh, that's a _classic_ move for you," she snorted.

"Hush. Don't be bitter just because you didn't get to kiss me."

"In your dreams."

" _Anyway_ ," the GM interrupted, bringing them back on track. "Ren has to roll a check for Charisma and Kyoko for Perception to see if he gets away with it."

Another roll. The young woman's open hand met her face with a loud smack and she groaned.

"4? Seriously? I'm totally buying a new set of dice. This one is clearly cursed."

"Guess you won't be calling my bluff then. I rolled a 15."

"Ren gets off scot-free, then, and Kyoko believes him. And this is probably a good place for us to stop?"

"What? Why?" the players ask in unison.

"Because we've been at this for four hours and the majority of our group went home at least an hour ago. Honestly, I didn't think either of you would be this invested considering how much you complained about this campaign when we started it."

The young woman gave the GM an apologetic look as she packed away her dice after handing over her character sheet.

"Well, I ended up really liking the character you created for me. It seemed like you put a lot of work towards creating backstories and everything for us."

"Me too," the man chimed in. "And, now, I'm curious to see how this whole thing plays out."

"Well, after such _glowing_ praise from the two of you, I hope I don't disappoint," the GM shot them a wry grin.

They said their goodbyes shortly after and the GM watched the pair from the front door as they argued about whether or not the woman needed a ride home. After two rejections of his offers, she finally relented and let the man drive her back to her apartment. The GM chuckled at their exchange, closed the door and went to clean up the rest of the items on the table.

His wife came back downstairs, having successfully tucked their daughter into bed. She began to help him pack away his things.

"So, how do you think it went?"

"They actually said that they _liked_ the campaign. Even though it's completely different from any of the others we've run."

She laughed at his shocked tone.

"Considering they were the only two left after the rest of the players went home and they wanted to keep playing, I'm not surprised."

"I really thought they would've caught on to the ruse by now, though."

His wife laughed.

"As oblivious as those two are? This is pretty much par for the course for them."

He sighed dejectedly.

"Yea, you're right."

His wife patted his hand encouragingly.

"Well, if anything you can enjoy the surprised looks on their faces when they find out you cooked this whole thing up just to get them together. We can even hold out until the wedding for the big reveal."

" _If_ it actually gets them together," he lamented. "With the amount of unresolved sexual tension between them, I'm surprised they don't spontaneously combust."

"We could always just lock them in a closet together."

She giggled at her suggestion, then stopped when she watched her husband find the nearest wall and start rhythmically banging his head against it. He grunted angrily each time his forehead made contact. Worried that something was seriously wrong, she rushed over to him to see what was the matter. When she touched his arm gently, he stopped and shook his head at her with a vaguely reassuring smile.

"Next time, be sure to tell me about your brilliantly simple plans _before_ I spend a whole week writing an unnecessarily complex campaign."

"Darling, you're a Game Master and a hopeless, incurable romantic. Nothing you do will ever be anything but unnecessarily complex."

-END-

* * *

 **RIDICULOUSLY LOOSELY BASED ON A TRUE STORY: I once got involved in a Pathfinder group that was created solely for the purpose of allowing one guy to bring his potential girlfriend because she had never played before and wanted to try it out. That's right, we created characters and an entire campaign just so this guy would have an excuse to take this girl on a weekly 'date.' While I'd love to say that it totally worked and they're now** **living happily ever after... well, it's complicated. But, it makes for a great story, right? Granted, we all had a lot of fun while playing, but the impetus for the whole thing still strikes me as hilarious. I hope you enjoyed it!**

 **Oh, and _Anomalous_ will be back next week. Hopefully Tuesday as I'm currently halfway done with the next chapter, but it could be as late as Thursday or Friday (Sneaky how I just slipped this in at the end, right? That's me, a veritable author's note ninja).**

 **Carry on with your lives, citizens!**

 **AUTHOR OUT!**


	22. My Playboy Mouth

**My Playboy Mouth**

 _(a.k.a. 'Turnabout is Fair Play' or 'Kyoko Gets Some Long-Awaited Payback')_

It started as a silly challenge between the LoveMe members at the suggestion of a very sly and mischievous Amamiya Chiori. A ridiculous idea birthed from the trio having a riotous laugh over a magazine article.

The rules were fairly simple. They all had five days to use at least one of the cheesy pickup lines from the article on one person of their choosing each day. It also had to be earnest and couldn't be used as a joke. The results of the Unofficial LoveMe Assignment, as it had been deemed, were to be shared after the five days were over.

They all seemed to agree to for one reason or another; Kyoko figured it would be an exciting, new way to practice her acting. Kanae was bored and thought it would be mildly amusing and Chiori, well, she just wanted to see Kyoko incapacitate someone through flirting alone. It was bound to happen at some point, and the sooner the actress realized exactly the effect she had on people, the better. Chiori made sure to add the caveat that ' _no, Kyoko, you can't just use them on one of us because that would defeat the point.'_

"Oh, Tsuruga-san, what are you doing here? I thought you'd be in the museum," Kyoko asked innocently when she saw him approach her.

"I don't know who told you I'd be there, but I have no current jobs that require filming on location at the moment," he tilted his head to one side, utterly confused by her question.

"Well, isn't that where all works of art belong?" she flashed him a teasing grin accompanied by a light giggle.

"...I see," was the flat reply that came from the actor. "You'll have to excuse me, Mogami-san, I seem to be needed elsewhere."

Kyoko pushed a frustrated breath out through her nose and clenched her hands into fists at her sides as she watched him walk away. This was not working out at all.

To tell the truth, Ren was actually her _second_ choice. She only defaulted to him after her first attempt with Ishibashi Hikaru ended with him spluttering incoherently and choking on the sandwich he was in the middle of eating. Resolving that she probably shouldn't cause anyone bodily harm with this ridiculous challenge—and that Hikaru was too much of an easy mark—she quickly moved on to her stand-by.

But, if this is how he was going to react to her efforts, she began to wonder if he was even worth targeting. What would she even be able to report back to Kanae and Chiori? That Japan's top actor was completely immune to come-ons? That she was not appealing enough for him to take her seriously?

She shook her head to herself. No, she would just have to try harder. If she wanted to be considered as a professional actor, she had to make _everyone_ believe her performances. The way Ren led her by the nose during the Ring-Doh screen test was forever burned in her memory (to say nothing of the incident during the Katsuki improvisation exercise at his apartment—she wanted to pretend that never happened, just like a certain incident-which-shall not-be-named involving a phone and a hotel room). Suddenly, this became less about the challenge between the LoveMe girls and more about Kyoko's personal mission for payback.

* * *

She was lucky to meet up with him again the next day. In actuality, it was less due to luck and more due to the fact that she resorted to outright stalking. To his manager's credit, he managed to wrangle Ren into having an actual meal between jobs that day as she found them leaving a restaurant where she staged herself to appear as if she was walking in. After walking headlong into his torso, she backed up and offered her usual profuse apologies. Thankfully, it was a rainy day and she could blame her limited vision on her umbrella.

"It's quite alright, Mogami-san. Had I known you were coming here, I would have invited you to join us."

"Oh, don't worry about that. I only stopped by because I had a few minutes to spare and needed to eat," she assured him, snapping her umbrella shut. "But, thank you for the belated invitation."

"Anytime," he beamed back at her with one of those smiles that caused her heart to race and her face to flush.

Kyoko was not to be beaten, however. She squinted and looked towards the sky in confusion before looking back at him. His eyes narrowed slightly before she spoke, as if he was wondering where her next train of thought would be disembarking.

"For a moment there, I thought the sun had finally come out," she explained, her lips quirking up to one side. "But, it turns out it was just your smile."

"Ah, well," he began somewhat nervously. "I hope you enjoy your meal. I'll see you around."

When Ren and his manager had walked out of sight, Kyoko stamped her foot angrily on the ground before reopening her umbrella and walking off in the opposite direction. She wasn't giving up. Not when she heard the slight wavering in his voice after her last attempt. It only served to spur her on.

* * *

The fact that he came to the LoveMe room the next afternoon had Kyoko wondering if Ren was a glutton for punishment. She thought her odd behavior would have pushed him away and that she'd have to continue hunting for him to carry out her plan. Well, there was no point in looking a gift Ren in the mouth. Time to put forward yet another attempt.

While they exchanged their usual pleasantries, she maneuvered her way around the table that sat near the center of the room, getting closer until she was within touching distance. She said a silent prayer to whoever was listening that Ren had chosen to wear oxfords that day. Opening her mouth, and eyes, wide she gasped and immediately crouched down towards his feet, taking extra care to block his view so as to not give the game away too early.

"My goodness, Tsuruga-san, one of your shoelaces have come undone," she said, peering innocently up at him from where she was stooped over his shoes. "Would it be alright if I re-tied it?"

"You really don't have to, Mogami-san," he protested warily. "I'm sure I can take care of it myself."

"Oh, it's no trouble at all," she quickly fiddled with his laces, untying them before redoing the perfect double loop of its mate.

When she stood up, she brushed her hands off against each other with a flourish and a sunny smile of satisfaction.

"Thank you, Mogami-san."

"Anytime," she chirped before giving a playful wink. "I can't have you falling for anyone else, you know."

Nothing came out of Ren's mouth except for the strangled whoosh of air for several seconds before he finally cleared his throat.

"I'll try not to," he said haltingly, each syllable sounding strange as it came out of his mouth.

He quickly excused himself from the room, leaving Kyoko alone to run a self-critique and ponder where she was lacking this time. His reaction definitely seemed abnormal, at least. That was a good sign. She was getting closer to getting something of a real response. Perhaps, she thought, she should tone down the playful cuteness and try something bolder. It was time to turn this performance up a notch.

* * *

Her next attack was swift and came without much warning to Ren. Walking through the halls at TBM, she silently sidled up alongside him. By the time he realized she was there, she was already looking down at the hand closest to her.

"Oh dear, that looks heavy," she remarked in concern. "Let me help you with that."

Ren's breath caught in his throat as Kyoko calmly placed his hand in hers, linked their fingers and continued to walk with him. The smile on her face never faltered or disappeared and he found himself focusing especially on making sure he didn't trip over his own feet, falling flat on his face. If this was the work of divine intervention by some deity, he couldn't decide if he should sing their praises or demand a refund.

Their current route hit a dead-end where it ran into an adjacent hallway. By this point, Ren was in such a daze, he couldn't remember if he was supposed to go right or left. Kyoko, her once placid smile stretching into a coy grin, raised their joined hands and patted the back of his with her other before sliding both of her hands away and tucking them behind her back.

"Looks like this is my stop. I'll see you around, Tsuruga-san!"

It was several minutes after this before Ren finally regained the ability to coherently string words together in a sentence.

Kyoko knew she was finally on to something. Now, it was time to go all in. Double or nothing.

* * *

The golden opportunity arrived one evening when she had finished her clerical work at LME and had no other acting jobs scheduled. As luck would have it, Ren's day was also ending early and he politely offered her a ride home, as per the usual. Kyoko dutifully made sure to make a show of her typical protests before finally accepting the kind gesture with a smile.

Once she'd gathered her things and they were ready to depart, Ren patted lightly at the left pocket on his slacks and realized he was missing his keys. Guessing that he must have left them in his manager's office, he asked her to accompany him to retrieve them so that they could leave soon after.

They had stepped off of an elevator and were halfway down an empty hallway when she sprang the trap.

"You know you really don't need to get your keys—"

Without warning, Kyoko was abruptly backed against the wall. Ren towered above, one hand bracing himself on the wall behind her.

"Perhaps I don't," his voice was deep and thick with desire when he brought his face down to hers, "You're already _driving_ me crazy."

For the briefest millisecond, she froze at the close contact. However, her dogged determination to not be the one to cave under pressure prevented her from folding like wet paper at the sight of his searing gaze. He had caught on to her lines and was trying to pre-empt them in an attempt to intimidate her. Well, she had come this far already and he was not going to win this round.

She tilted her head and brought her face closer to his. When she was close enough to feel the warmth of his nose touching the tip of hers, she licked her lips and gave him a look like she was about to devour him whole. It was a look she knew well and wondered how Ren felt to finally be on the receiving end of it.

"Well, you'd be a fool to not accept a _ride_ from me," she purred, running a single finger along his collar and tugging lightly on it when she reached the end.

In one fluid motion, she gracefully ducked under his outstretched arm and slipped past him. He remained in the same position like a statue as she calmly walked away. When she looked back to see him still standing there, hunched over against the wall, she smiled wickedly before tossing her hair in triumph and continuing down the hall.

* * *

When reporting day came around, Kyoko was beaming from ear to ear. She finally got some decent reactions out of her target and couldn't be more pleased with her abilities. Happily relaying the results of her efforts to the others, she was so proud of herself, she missed the knowing glances exchanged between the other two LoveMe members.

"It took everything I had. I barely got anything out of him for the first four attempts," she admitted with a sigh. "He was surprisingly resilient."

"I wouldn't say that…" Kanae deliberately left her sentence unfinished.

At that moment, a familiar bespectacled man entered the LoveMe room with a polite smile.

"Ah, Yashiro-san, just in time!" Kanae welcomed him into the room and motioned for him to sit with them.

"What is he doing here?" Kyoko asked, confused.

"Well, I happened to ask these to ladies what was going on with your sudden change in attitude and they told me about your odd arrangement," he explained. "I was intrigued—and highly amused—and promised to include photo evidence of the aftermath."

"Aftermath?"

His smile became a wide grin, "You probably believed Ren was just brushing you off all those other times, but you had a greater effect on him than you thought."

"What?!"

"Perhaps it would be better to just show you."

Pulling on the requisite glove, he removed his phone from the pocket inside his jacket and opened a photo album he specifically made for this very occasion. He explained how he managed to capture each photo. The first one was pure luck as he caught the tail end of their brief conversation but, after their meeting outside the restaurant, he knew something was up and made sure he was nearby to get a photo each time.

The first photo was slightly blurry, obviously having been taken in a rush. Ren was standing alone with a rather perturbed look on his face. His brow was furrowed in confusion and his lips were pushed down into a slight frown. However, the most noticeable change was the light dusting of pink across his cheekbones. This photo got a round of pleased, intermittent giggles from the girls.

The second photo was taken stealthily using his front-facing camera. It was an upshot of Ren's face that caught him in the middle of running a clawed hand through his hair. He looked almost distraught, his jaw was slack and his mouth agape slightly in surprise. What was just a hint of pink in the previous photo was a full flush of red running across the bridge of his nose and stopping on either side at the apples of his cheeks. The giggling got louder and more frequent.

The rest of the photos continued in the same vein—showing Ren in various states of distress over Kyoko's words. As they scrolled through each one, you could see every shade of red visible to the human eye make its debut on his face and his expressions evolved further within the range of embarrassed-yet-enraged astonishment. By this point, Kanae and Chiori were holding each other up as they laughed merrily.

"And, now, for the pièce de résistance," Yashiro announced with a flourish before swiping over to the next photo.

There were gasps from all three ladies. Kyoko's was followed by a hoarse squeak as her entire face lost all color before promptly turning red.

Ren was sitting on the ground in the hallway of their last encounter. His legs were splayed out in front of him, bent at the knees, as if he slid down the wall and slumped into that position after his knees buckled under him. His head was in his hands and they gripped tightly at the side of his face. Like someone who had just witnessed an extremely traumatizing event, his eyes were blown wide and his jaw locked, pulling his lips tight in a thin line. And, from the tip of his nose to the nape his neck, his entire face was a striking shade of crimson.

Kanae and Chiori dissolved into deafening cackles behind Kyoko who could only look on in a mix of horror and surprise. And yet, despite the dread in her stomach that warned her she would undoubtedly be on the receiving end of a dressing down because of her recent behavior, she couldn't suppress the pride that warmed her from head to toe as she looked upon the fruit of her labor.

The corner of her mouth twitched uncertainly before it tilted upward into a devilish smirk; the only celebration of her victory she would allow herself until she was in the privacy of her own room. With a huffy snort, she pushed her chin out in defiance.

"Serves him right."

* * *

 **MY MAGIC WATCH SAYS YOU LEFT ME AN AWESOME REVIEW... OH, WAIT, IT'S TEN MINUTES FAST. My love of horribly cheesy pick-up lines is rivaled only by my love of horribly cheesy puns. Most likely because one often borrows from the other.**

 **I started writing this over half a year ago and only just around to finishing it because I didn't think it was very good at the time.**

 **Anyway, enough about me. Leave me some ridiculous pick-up lines in the reviews!**

 **AUTHOR OUT!**


	23. The Ties That Bind

**The Ties That Bind**

"Alright, I think I've got it all now!"

The young man called out as he stumbled into the dilapidated house, using his shoulder to push aside the groaning door that only just hung off a single hinge. In his arms, he carried a basket filled with various paper bundles and a lantern. Waddling his way into the cobweb-riddled space of what used to be a drawing room, he dropped his basket on the table near the window with a grunt, releasing a cloud of dust into the air.

Brushing his hands off on his overcoat before removing it, he draped it over a rickety chair, effectively covering the threadbare upholstery that struggled to restrain the mouse-bitten padding inside. He put his hands on his hips and looked around with a sigh.

"Are you even here?"

"I am always here," came a distant voice from down the hall.

A woman materialized through the wall of the room, dressed in a white, long-sleeved gown that flowed in cascading whisps from where it gathered just below the bust all the way to her dainty, slippered feet. While it was the same dress she always wore, it never looked any less stunning on her. The young man greeted her with a proud grin, no longer startled by her sudden appearances as he once had been.

"I've finally gathered it all," he said, still somewhat breathless from his lengthy trudge up the hill. "It's all there; a large, smooth stone from the village stream, petals from a red rose, sheep's wool, a pink crystal teardrop—I had quite the ordeal stealing that from my mother's chandelier— and two dandelions. We're lucky autumn has been quite mild this year. The first frost has not killed off the weeds just yet."

He unwrapped each item from its paper and string packaging as he named them off to her. She glided over to the table to look at each one. Her long, delicate fingers floated over the top of each object as she inspected them more closely. The rose petals fluttered ever so slightly beneath her caress.

"There is just one more thing we need."

She moved away from the table and over to the farthest wall, her auburn hair unchanged by the chilly breeze that invaded through the broken window panes. Stopping a few steps away from the wall, she waved for him to join her. He hastened to her side and looked at her questioningly. Pointing one pale finger, she drew his attention to a spot along the wall.

"Inside that hole is a hidden latch. See if you can feel around for it and release it."

"You cannot do it?"

She shook her head, "My power is not what it once was and it wanes with each passing year as my reason for being in this place has long since left this world."

"Can you at least poke your head through the wall and tell me if I'm close?"

A beautiful, but sad smile formed on her face, "Of course."

The hole was no bigger than the diameter of his index finger. Thus, he used said digit to blindly fumble around inside the wall, looking for the latch she described. He muffled a whine as the hard plaster dug into the base of his finger.

"You are very close, just a bit further to the left," came a voice from inside the wall.

He looked over to see her bent slightly forward, her head completely encased in the wall while the rest of her body stood just outside. Stretching his finger a little more to the left, he came in contact with what felt like a metal lever. Pushing down on it had no effect, so he moved his finger beneath it and pushed upwards. He felt it loosen with a click and pulled his hand away with a breath of relief.

"Ah, got it!"

"Indeed," she pulled her head back to smile once more at him. "Well done."

Noticing something pushing against his leg, he looked down to see that two of the planks along the wainscotting had sprung open like a hatch. He squatted down to get a look at what was inside. Pushing the boards open further, the dim lantern light in the room illuminated a small coin purse sitting on a shelf. Not knowing how fragile it would be, he reached inside and removed it with careful fingers.

"Is this the last piece?"

She nodded, "Open it."

His fingers gently undid the metal clasp and he peered into the small purse. Something glittered inside, but he could not tell exactly what it was. He walked closer to where he placed the lantern on the table and tilted the purse over his other hand, allowing the contents to slide out into his palm.

A beautiful, indigo stone rested in his hand. Placing the purse down on the table, he grasped the stone with two fingers and held it up, moving it back and forth and marvelling at how its color changed in the light.

"It's beautiful," his tone was almost reverent.

"It was little more than a trinket, but it was of great sentimental value to both of us," she explained.

"Seems a shame that it has to be destroyed."

"The people it meant the most to are no longer alive. It serves no purpose now."

"I suppose you're right," he frowned and ran a hand through his hair before looking at her again. "Well, what's next? Is there a certain time at which we have to do this?"

"The hour matters not, so long as it is after sunset following the Equinox," she looked out the window at the darkened sky.

"Alright, then tell me what to do."

She talked him through the process and he methodically began to prepare the items he had gathered. The paper he used to wrap them was laid first on the floor as a bedding of sorts. On top, the sheep's wool was spread like a soft pillow. Using the large river rock, he smashed it against the chandelier crystal and the stone until nothing but blue and pink shards remained and he dusted them on top of the wool. He finished by scattering the rose petals over everything and intertwining the stems of the dandelions before placing them on top, neatly in the center.

"That seems to be everything," he said, standing up from where he was squatting on the ground.

"Did you remember to bring fire?"

"I certainly did! Otherwise, we could've used the lantern," he reached into the pocket of his pants and produced a small box of matches. "Are you ready to do this?"

"I have never been more ready," her smile widened into one of gratitude. "I do not know why you would do such a thing for me. But know that I am grateful."

"No one should be stuck here like this," he shook his head. "My only regret is that nobody did this for you sooner."

He removed a single match and struck the head against the side of the box. It sparked to life with a burst of bright orange flame that he cupped with his other hand against the wind. Squatting down once more, he held it over the pile he created. The woman stood just on the other side, waiting anxiously. He looked up at her with a grin.

"Well, it was a pleasure to meet you, but it's time for you to go home now. Kyoko Mogami, I release you from this place."

With those words, he dropped the match and a brilliant blue flame exploded forth from the items resting on the bed of papers. The entire room was engulfed in a white light and he looked around in awe as it regained the it's former appearance. The peeling paint was fixed in an instant and the furnishings and windows shone like they had only just been cleaned the day before. Kyoko must have seen it as well, for she looked around with joyful tears brimming in her eyes.

"Kyoko, darling, is that you?" they heard a voice call from the doorway.

He looked over to see a man, maybe no more than five years older than him, standing in the doorway. His green eyes searched the room until they landed on the person for whom he was searching. The young man looked again at Kyoko, who beamed despite the tears flowing from her eyes. She ran over to the man and immediately embraced him, reaching up to run her fingers through his golden hair.

"Yes, my love, it is me," she pulled one hand away to wipe at her eyes. "I apologize if I have kept you waiting."

"You know I would wait an eternity for you."

She laughed briefly before capturing his lips with hers. The young man looked away, trying to give the reunited couple a bit of privacy. However, his attention was drawn back at the sound of a loud crack. He turned to see the man holding a hand to his face and Kyoko glaring up at him.

"Sweetheart, why?"

"That is for drinking and starving yourself into an early grave and leaving me bound to this house," she folded her arms with a huff.

"I had no idea what you had done until after I died," he defended.

"Oh, so the countless meals I tried to prepare for you after the accident did not give you the slightest clue?" Kyoko sneered at him.

"You would drink too if you thought a vengeful spirit had commandeered your kitchen," he grumbled with a pout.

"What spirit would take the time to prepare your favorite meals?"

His face fell and he hung his head in shame and guilt. Completely cowed, he held his hands out to her entreatingly.

"I should have known it was you, darling. I am so sorry. Can you ever forgive me?"

She let several seconds go by before finally leaning forward and allowing him to embrace her. Unfolding her arms, she clasped them around his waist and buried her head into his chest.

"Consider it forgotten."

He let out a warm chuckle, "Then, dearest, shall we continue on into the ever after?"

She pulled back to look up at him, her smile wide and her eyes bright.

"We shall."

The fire was dwindling at this point and the young man realized the scene before him was starting to fade and the greys and browns of the aged house were showing through the brighter colors of its previous splendor. He began to back away and turned to retrieve his coat from where he laid it on the chair. It was faint, but he heard his name being called and he turned around, one arm partially inside the sleeve of his coat, to see Kyoko looking over at him from the doorway, her hand tightly wrapped in that of her lover.

She mouthed the words ' _thank you'_ to him before they both vanished into thin air. The fire sputtered and died and he was left alone with the dim light of his lantern. He finished putting on his coat, grabbed the lantern and basket and promptly left the house, taking only a moment to look back at it when he was halfway down the stone path that led to the front door.

When his family moved to that village several months earlier, he had no idea of the adventure he would find in that abandoned house on the hill.

Decades later, when he had gathered in the home of his brother with his nephews and nieces surrounding him one night with big, eager smiles. The smallest one climbed into his lap and giggled with delight.

"Tell us a story," they begged. "Tell us about one of your many adventures."

"Make it a funny one," his youngest niece requested.

"No, it's All Hallow's Eve," his eldest nephew pointed out. "Make it a scary one."

Stroking his face, he pondered a moment

"How about a bit of both?"

Murmurs of agreement from the children in the room told him he had chosen wisely. With a fond smile, he wrapped his arms around the small child in his lap, and then leaned forward to look each one solemnly in the eye.

"Our story begins when a beautiful young woman met with an untimely demise in her prime. Knowing she would leave behind the love of her life, she made a desperate plea to the spirits to be able to always look after him," his eyes twinkled as his mouth curled into a wry smile. "He was utterly useless without her, you see."

The children laughed.

"Well, stricken with grief as he was, he soon followed behind her in departing from this world. It was at that time she realized that the spirits had played a cruel joke on her. For she was not bound to her love as she originally believed, but cursed to remain in the house in which they had lived."

They were all leaning forward, listening with rapt attention as he started to spin his compelling tale.

"It was this very same house I happened to find one evening after your father, your grandparents and I had recently moved into the village..."

 **-THE END-**

* * *

 **MY PROMPT WORDS WERE AUTUMN, SUNSET, AND WAITING: You can thank the 'enablers' (as dear Blushweaver so aptly described us) for this one. I honestly only did this so I could write a scene that was loosely based on the ending of Hocus Pocus. I missed the beginning of that movie the first time I saw it as a kiddo and got to the end when you saw the cat in his human form again and was like "oh, snap, Thackery Binx is a regulation hottie (I was young and impressionable, judge me all you want)."**

 **... and my friends wonder why I have an obsession with black cats.**

 **Anyway, Happy Halloween Everyone!**

 **AUTHOR OUT (on her broom)!**


	24. Fried Chicken and Assumptions

**Fried Chicken and Assumptions**

 _Formerly titled: All I Want for Christmas is (a date with) you_

 _#MerrySkipmas to Daamile and lots of hugs from your Secret Santa! I know you wanted Kyoko to just bring Ren KFC, but my brain had other plans._

The line outside of KFC that evening was ridiculously long. Everyone stood neatly behind the other, though some shuffled from side to side in an attempt to keep warm in the icy temperature that had settled in the air once the sun went down. Kyoko chided herself for not pre-ordering one of the dinner sets in advance before she realized how ridiculous that would be. Their manager only told her two hours prior about Ren's schedule and the fact that he hadn't eaten. Then again, that should not have come as any surprise.

Still, it would have been presumptuous on her part to guess that he had no other plans for the evening. It was December 24th after all. Didn't he have someone special he wanted to spend it with?

That thought stung a bit more than the sudden cold breeze that rushed past her face, sending a shiver straight through her and down to her toes. It also caused her to question why she was even standing in that line in the first place. What if he _did_ have plans and she just barged into his apartment with fried chicken and assumptions? What if he didn't even like KFC? He was a picky eater after all and, maybe, he preferred to eat something else.

Her mind boggled at all of the possibilities and she decided the only way to get a straight answer was to ask the man in question. Thus, she found herself standing in front of his apartment door half an hour later with her hand raised to ring the doorbell. She hesitated briefly, waiting to hear if there were any voices on the other side of the door. When she heard none, she firmly pressed the button once.

He answered the door, still impeccably dressed in the designer jacket and slacks she saw him wearing when she met up with him and their manager that morning. Before he could open his mouth to question why she was there, she took a quick breath and tumbled headlong into an explanation.

"Yashiro-san said you hadn't stopped to eat or celebrate the day once, so I figured I'd bring you food but the lines were _super_ long at KFC. I mean, I waited for almost an hour and it barely moved. Then, I figured you were probably trying to finish early so you could spend the evening with someone. I didn't want to make assumptions but I also didn't want to interrupt anything by calling so I decided to come here and see if you were home and if you hadn't eaten I'd make you something but I didn't stop for groceries, so I really didn't think this through very well at all, did I?" her rambling finally came to an end and she was visibly out of breath.

"Relax, Mogami-san, it's okay," Ren fought hard against the urge to laugh at her antics and invited her inside with a wave of his hand. "I didn't have any other plans and I appreciate you checking on me. It's true that I haven't eaten, but I don't see the need to have a festive dinner."

"But, Tsuruga-san, it's almost Christmas!"

Closing the door behind them, he opened his mouth to protest further but gave up with a sigh and hung his head.

"To be honest, I'm not really in the Christmas mood right now."

"Oh no, Tsuruga-san, that's awful! Is there something I can do?"

He shook his head, "My family lives too far for me to visit them and there's no one nearby to spend the day with so, why bother?"

Kyoko gaped at him, the faintest hint of tears glistened in her eyes before she cleared them away with a decisive shake of her head. Crossing her arms and huffing indignantly, she frowned in disappointment.

"Why bother indeed," she muttered aloud. "Of all the ridiculous things—that's it. You are going to go change right now."

For someone of her stature, Kyoko had a remarkable amount of strength. She kicked off her shoes at the entrance and subsequently used that strength to push a resistant Ren towards his bedroom while his arms flailed in retaliation.

"Mogami-san why—" he turned to ask.

"Ah-ah-ah, no protests," she cut him off, sternly wagging her finger before pointing at his bedroom door. "Go put on something warm and comfortable and, for heaven's sake, make it something that won't make you stand out."

"Mogami-san, I'm over 190cm tall," the tiniest crooked smile snuck onto his face. "Perhaps I should sit instead?"

She withheld the groan she wanted to let out and grumbled for a few moments, trying to organize her thoughts. He had a point, but she wasn't going to let him get away with that snarky comment. That was not what she meant and he knew it.

"Your height is one thing. The way you dress is another."

When he tilted his head in confusion, she closed her eyes briefly and silently asked for strength. What happened to the man that, mere moments ago, was moping over not being in the Christmas spirit?

"I meant, you need to be a little less haute couture and a little more normal," she rolled her eyes. "If you're even capable of that."

He scoffs before walking off towards his room, stopping only to look over his shoulder once with a haughty glance.

"I think I can manage."

When he returned, Kyoko held back the curse that threatened to spring from her lips. His jacket looked old and worn, but she guessed it was probably made from real leather. At least the knitted hat that covered his hair looked generic enough that he almost could blend in with the rest of the general public. Still, it was downright unfair that he could still look attractive even in the plainest sweater and pants combination. Clearly, he took the lion's share of good looks from the gene pool when he was born. She felt sorry for everyone else that got the remnants.

"So, where are we going?"

"Well, since you've been so busy, you probably haven't had time to enjoy any of the decorations that have been put up," she thought out loud. "I know I haven't. Perhaps we should go see the light display at NHK?"

He shrugged nonchalantly, as if the suggestion meant little to him. Kyoko rolled her eyes again and sighed before grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the door. So intent was she on leaving the apartment, she completely missed the wistful grin on the face of the man behind her.

When Ren began to walk towards the parking lot to get his car, he was stopped by a hand and Kyoko shook her head at him. They were going to do this like 'normal people,' she'd said, and 'normal people' don't take expensive sports cars into the city to look at Christmas lights. Besides, they would miss half of the other decorations by driving anyway.

Arriving in Shibuya, they crossed the giant intersection outside of the train station and started off in the direction of the NHK building. Walking steadily uphill, Ren noticed his surroundings and stopped to question their route.

"I'm 99.9% certain this is the correct way, Tsuruga-san," Kyoko said, not bothering to hide her exasperation.

"No, I'm pretty sure we were supposed to turn left back there," he pointed behind them with his thumb.

"Well _I'm_ pretty sure that, if we keep going straight, we'll still end up there in a few blocks.

"I can guarantee that I've been to NHK more often than you have. Wouldn't I know the way better than you?" his eyes narrowed as he challenged her.

She let out a guttural sigh and laced her gloved fingers together.

"Tsuruga-san, with all due respect," she began in a tone that only barely hinted at any respect at all. "You typically go there by car, do you not?"

He nodded.

"Seeing that I have frequently travelled by train and bus, wouldn't I know the most efficient way to get there by foot?"

"I guess," he grumbled, crossing his arms with a defeated pout.

Kyoko gave him a placating smile and patted his arm twice before continuing on her way. Not once did she look back to see if he was behind her. She didn't have to.

The last intersection just before NHK was crowded with people waiting to see the lights. Officers were directing traffic, letting small batches of pedestrians cross at regular intervals. Kyoko stood on her tiptoes, trying to get a glimpse of the lights and frowned when she didn't see any. She had just looked away in disappointment when she heard gasps and cheers coming from further ahead and looked back to see the entire promenade in front of the building light up.

From trunk to tip, every tree on either side of the walkway was covered in tiny blue lights. She tugged on the arm of her companion and pointed excitedly at the display. He smiled warmly at her enthusiasm. Noticing that they were in the next group to cross the street, he wrapped his hand around hers and led her along while she continued to gawk at the spectacle before them. They stayed like that throughout their entire leisurely walk down the promenade, oblivious to the crush of bodies around them and enjoying magical atmosphere of being surrounded by thousands of twinkling blue lights. Kyoko, of course, couldn't resist comparing it to a winter fairy wonderland.

When they neared the end, Kyoko stopped and put a finger to her chin in thought. She was looking around at all of the other people with their phones out; taking pictures of the lights and of themselves. Ren looked at her patiently, waiting to hear what her next idea was.

"Should we take a picture together?" she asked, eyeing the number of selfie sticks that jutted into the air around them. "Would that be strange?"

"No stranger than you kidnapping me from my apartment to go look at lights," he quipped.

She deliberately ignored his comment.

"Well, I'll leave it up to you to decide," she sniffed with an air of indifference. "You have the nicer phone with a better camera anyway."

He pretended to think about it for half of a second before reaching into his jacket pocket for his phone. It took a few awkward attempts to get one that they both agreed looked decent; she admonished him for not smiling and he chided her for closing her eyes at the wrong moment. Both were careful to avoid pointing out the redness of their cheeks and fervently hoped the other would assume it was from the constant cold breeze and not from having to take a photo with their faces so close together.

At the end of the promenade, a familiar scent reached Kyoko's nose and it drove her to distraction. Looking around, she tried to gauge the direction it was coming from.

"Mogami-san what are you—"

"Takoyaki," she said in a voice that almost sounded possessed. "I smell takoyaki. There must be a vendor nearby."

"I'm guessing it's coming from that street fair over there."

Ren pointed to an area illuminated with bright lights and decorated with signs and flags. A winding path went through a veritable gantlet of tents advertising foods of all different kinds. Kyoko's eyes went wide and she clapped her hands in delight. He knew any form of protest would be completely ignored so he followed her as she all but ran over to investigate the area.

Fully aware of his typical attitude towards food, she left him sitting on a bench in a secluded area while she went off to acquire a makeshift dinner for them. Twenty minutes passed before she reappeared with her arms full of various food containers. Kyoko sat on the other end of the bench and placed her bounty on the seat between them. Ren's eyes widened as she opened container after container to reveal her purchases.

He had no idea how much she spent, but it looked like she nearly bought one of everything. Steamed meat buns, chicken karaage, yakisoba, fried sesame balls with red bean paste, impressively long french fries and, of course, takoyaki. Without a word, she handed him a pair of chopsticks and a napkin. Then, remembering something, she reached into her coat pocket and passed him a bottle of tea before pulling her own out of the other pocket. He took the items wordlessly and continued to stare between her and the mountain of food.

It shouldn't have been a surprise that they ate every last crumb. He hadn't eaten in over twelve hours and she quietly admitted that she had gone quite a while without eating that day as well. Once they'd finished, they took their trash to the refuse sorting tent before leaving.

"Any ideas as to what we should do next?" Ren asked as they strolled back towards Shibuya station.

"I heard Shinjuku Terrace had a pretty display as well. Would you like to check it out?"

"Might as well," he shrugged. "We're already out."

"Oh, don't force yourself," Kyoko deadpanned, unamused.

The entrance to Shibuya Station was packed with people as usual, but the pair spotted something unique among the crowd. About five young men were milling about dressed in Santa suits holding signs saying 'Free Hugs' in English and Japanese. They touted that they were giving out only the finest authentic Japanese hugs and encouraged anyone who walked close enough to them to try it out. Groups of girls tittered amongst themselves before giving in and hugging them, then giggled as they ran off, but the majority of the people passed them by without a second look.

Kyoko was still too much under the influence of the lights and the street fair to turn them down. She happily skipped over to them and gave each one of them a hug, wishing them a Merry Christmas. When she turned to look back at Ren, she nodded her head between him and the Santas, goading him to do the same. He bobbed his head from side to side with a light shrug and acquiesced. All of the Santas applauded, thanking Kyoko and patting Ren on the back.

"I wonder what they would've done if they realized who you really are," she whispered once they were inside the station.

"They'd probably stop giving out their hugs for free and start charging a premium for Indirect Hugs from Tsuruga Ren," he suggested, the grin on his face clearly indicating he wasn't serious.

"Well, whether they know or not, I think you helped make their Christmas a little brighter."

He chuckled at her pragmatism, "If you say so, Mogami-san."

Shinjuku Terrace had a beautiful display that stretched all the way into the shopping area of Shinjuku Station itself. This year's color scheme was mostly pink, with a smattering of orange and red lights mixed in for variety. Trees were covered in lights, walls had strands cascading down them like waterfalls and even the walkways had arches of lights that sparkled above the passersby. Both Ren and Kyoko had the fleeting thought that Lory Takarada was somehow responsible but never voiced it. However, when they caught each other's eye, they both knew what the other was thinking and laughter rumbled up from their throats and into the air.

Once they were on the terrace itself, they spotted a line of people waiting patiently for something. As far back as they were, they couldn't exactly tell what it was, but saw a glittering glass structure that lit up in different colors at the end of the queue. Since it seemed to be the main attraction of this particular display, they decided to see what the fuss was about.

When they got closer, Ren caught a glimpse of some of the signs around the display. He did his best not to betray what he'd seen and, instead, focused on the idle chit-chat he was having with the woman beside him. Once it was their turn, he had crafted a perfect poker face for when Kyoko, inevitably, balked at the scene before them.

It was a love meter. A Christmas-themed love meter.

Each person had to place their hand on the semi-spherical sensor on a podium and the display would light up a certain color. Each color had a different meaning and was supposed to represent the relationship between the two people. She looked up at him, her eyes wide with apprehensive horror. He simply motioned for her to go ahead and put her hand on the sensor.

"We waited all this time in line, after all," began his logical explanation. "Why not just do it for fun?"

That seemed to ease her tension a bit and she slowly peeled off her right glove. He followed suit, removing his left glove and placed his hand on the podium on top of the sensor and waited. A tinkling sound like wind chimes came from the speakers surrounding monstrosity of ornately frosted glass panes, crystal orbs, metal and lights in front of them and, suddenly, the entire thing was illuminated a brilliant shade of pink. Thankfully, the bright lights easily hid the presence of the exact same color on their faces.

Now they really _were_ suspicious that Lory was, somehow, involved in this.

Ren glanced down at the podium where the color chart was to confirm that pink represented 'full of love and gentleness.' He closed his eyes momentarily and took several breaths before looking over at Kyoko. She was forcing herself to focus solely on putting her glove back on, blatantly disregarding the clamor of hoots from the onlookers behind them. Once she was content that her hand was properly encased and warm, she looked up at him, smiling widely in an attempt to hide her trepidation.

"Well, that was fun, wasn't it?" her shaky voice asked.

"Indeed it was," he smiled back. "Is there anywhere else you planned for us to go?"

"Not… really," she faltered, still clearly embarrassed. "That was the most I could think of on the spot."

They started to walk away from the display, letting the next couple in line have their turn. Neither spoke a word as they meandered their way back towards the train station. Each was careful to avoid touching any part of the person beside them as they walked, an unspoken agreement between them that any form of contact would be too much to handle for the time being.

"Would it be alright if we went back to my apartment to defrost a little?" Ren asked eventually, breaking the silence.

"Oh goodness, we've been out for a while, haven't we?" she panicked. "I'm sorry, I should've realized you were cold."

"It's fine," he assured her. "Besides, maybe we can pick up some Christmas cake and sparkling wine on the way?"

She stopped in her tracks and looked up at him with big, hopeful eyes.

"You mean, you actually _want_ to eat Christmas cake?"

"Well, _someone_ came over and tried to convince me to get in the Christmas spirit," he joked with a wry smile. "I suppose they were a little successful."

Kyoko let out a whoop and lifted her fisted hands in victory. Grabbing him once more by the arm, she tried to figure out where the closest grocery store might be. Guessing at her plans, Ren halted her with a word and recommended that they just get a cake from a nearby convenience store.

"But, I know how to make one," she defended with a pout.

"That is the beside the point. Didn't you say we were enjoying the day like 'normal people'?" he reminded her. "I don't believe most normal people make their own Christmas cake, Mogami-san."

She gave in with no small amount of grumbling about 'normal people' who had the foresight to order a cake in advance which elicited a merry laugh from him.

The convenience store nearest to his apartment still had a small selection of cakes available and Kyoko looked them all over, choosing a smaller one that looked fresh with unmarred frosting. When she turned to walk to the counter, the cake was swiped from her hands with expert speed. Ren stood beside her with a bottle of sparkling wine in his hand, the label wasn't one she was familiar with, but she assumed it was fairly expensive.

"Since I'm the only one of us old enough to buy alcohol, I'll take care of the cake too," his eyes almost dared her to try to refute him.

"You didn't have to get such a big bottle," she gave the item in question a skeptical look. "You're the only one allowed to drink it."

"I won't tell anyone if you won't," he leaned down with a conspiratorial whisper.

"Ah, what an adorable couple," a voice behind them said. "You two must be thoroughly enjoying your Christmas date."

They looked to see one of the store's attendants was smiling at them. Kyoko's brain short-circuited and the only words she could manage were incoherent babbles. Ren took over for her and quickly thanked the person for their comment, hoping that would end the conversation quicker than trying to deny their assumed relationship status. If anything, he was thankful for the distraction as it allowed him to pay for their purchases with no further protests from the young starlet standing next to him.

"This isn't a date… right?"

Kyoko was finally coherent enough to form proper words once they were a block away from the store.

"Well," Ren pondered aloud. "We're both single, we went to see Christmas lights together, we held hands and enjoyed a meal, took a love meter test and we're now buying cake and sparkling wine. I think the only thing that's missing would be a kiss at the end of the night."

Kyoko turned an alarming shade of red. If he didn't already know it was from embarrassment, he would've asked if she was choking. The corner of his mouth twitched upward and he wrestled it back into a straight line.

"N-none of that means it's a date. You can do that and still be friends too, you know."

He shrugged at her vehement denial.

"Then, I guess as long as the night doesn't end with a kiss, this won't be a date."

He shot her a wink. She swatted him on the shoulder with her hand.

"I guess you will just have to keep your lips to yourself then, sir."

"Excuse you," he huffed, looking away from her as if he were affronted. "I am a gentleman."

She parroted his words in a mocking voice while flapping her hand like the mouth of a puppet. His eyes shifted back to her and stared at her in shock, his mouth hanging open at her admirable audacity. Her hand stopped when she caught him looking at her. She flushed for a moment, then stuck her tongue out at him and took the bag from his hands, running off in the direction of his apartment. He was a fraction of a second behind her, his longer legs allowing him to catch up in no time.

A peal of laughter mixed with a surprised squeal echoed down the street as Ren scooped the woman up in one fluid motion while still jogging. Hefting her over his shoulder like a sack of rice, he slowed his pace, ignoring her giggled pleas until she began to pound her fists against his back in retaliation begging him to have mercy on the cake and save it from being jostled around too much. He placed her carefully back on her feet not long after and the two of them continued on to their destination.

The Cake Cutting Fiasco of 2018—or as it was over-dramatically titled later on—was little more than a brief debate over how the cake was sliced. Kyoko took it upon herself to cut two small pieces. Standing with two plates in her hand, she hesitated for a second before handing the slice that had an immaculate strawberry nestled in the whipped frosting to Ren. The slice she kept had no such adornment and he frowned at her.

"Do you not like strawberries, Tsuruga-san?" she asked innocently.

"I like them just fine, but why didn't you take this piece for yourself?"

He pushed the plate he held towards her while reaching out with his other hand to take the plate in her hands for his own. She countered his movement by yanking the plate from his reach and pushed his proffered slice away.

"You paid for the cake. It's only fair that you get the first, and best, slice."

"Take the cake, Mogami-san. Or I will make you take it."

"What happened to being a gentleman?" she taunted.

She had him there and he was unable to protest. Instead he swiftly wrenched the plate from her hands without a word and stalked back towards where the cake sat on his kitchen counter. He fiddled with the cake while she watched in stunned silence. When he returned, he held two plates with identical slices on each. She looked between him and the plate he held in front of her face.

"Why?"

"There are four strawberries on that cake," he explained, his eyes challenging her to even consider arguing. "It was no real loss to just cut another slice."

"Yes, but—"

"Would you rather we both eat slices without strawberries? I'm happy to accommodate," his voice was as gentle and sweet as his words suggested; his expression was anything but.

She took the plate without further argument.

Ren suggested they enjoy the cake on the balcony. While it did involve going back out into the cold, he reasoned that the lights of the city were probably more festive than the barren opulence of his apartment. Kyoko found herself hard-pressed to disagree with him on that particular point and they each took their respective glasses of wine. Hers had only a modest amount of liquid as Ren maintained that he was not about to be held responsible for the corruption of a minor; especially not in his own home.

Little did he know just how much she had consumed in the past during previous holiday parties at the ryokan _._ This was a trifle by comparison.

Glasses were raised in a toast to the holiday and cake was consumed on the chilly balcony. All in all, it was a suitably quiet ending to their night. Once the dishes were cleaned and put away, Kyoko found herself at a loss for what to do next. While she knew she should make her exit before the hour got any later, she still felt compelled to stay. The fact that he wasn't making any indication that she should leave made the decision that much harder.

"You seemed a little sad earlier that you couldn't be with your family, but I hope you still had fun," she tried to make conversation while he dried his hands on the dish towel.

"It's true, I do miss them," his eyes caught hers in a look that she couldn't quite decipher. "But, I don't think I'd mind it so much if I got to spend every Christmas like I did today."

"So, you don't mind being dragged all over the city, bickering over directions and being force-fed street food?" she looked at him dubiously. "Tsuruga-san, I never pegged you for a masochist."

"It wasn't the activities so much as it was the company," he offered a tender smile. "I don't think I would've enjoyed any of this if I was with anyone but you."

"You can't mean tha—"

Kyoko resisted and tried to hide the blush forming on her cheeks, but he stopped her before she could delve too far into her usual downward spiral of denial and misdirection.

"Mogami-san, you're the only person who can drag me out of my apartment against my will and have me enjoy every minute of it. You've made yourself so at home in my life that I find I am unable to deny you anything, so long as it makes you happy. Myself included," he brought a hand to his chest. "If you would have me."

He bought his face close to hers and she saw his eyes beseeching her to understand what he meant. Kyoko was still plagued by her doubts and excuses of course; she had a veritable archive of them by this point. Still, when searching for one that was applicable to this particular situation, all she got was 'Error: No entries found'. She reached out a hesitant hand to place it on his cheek and he closed his eyes when it made contact. Smiling at this, she leaned forward to place her lips on his in a chaste kiss, which he reciprocated.

Quite enthusiastically.

All sense of temporal awareness disappeared like fog under the morning sun. Nothing existed in that moment except the secure, warm embrace of his arms around her waist and her fingers lightly dancing across his face. She smelled of winter and crisp, cold breezes rushing through city streets. He tasted of strawberries, cream and wine. They pulled away, reluctant and nearly breathless.

Kyoko squinted against the blinding brightness of his smile when he opened his eyes once more to look at her.

"Date," she whispered, clutching at his arms to stay upright despite the buckling in her knees telling her it was nigh impossible.

"Definitely a date," he agreed.

-END-

* * *

 **Aikori's Info Corner:**

1\. The lines for KFC on Christmas Eve are notoriously long at most locations. We actually decided to try it a couple days before Christmas just to avoid the rush.

2\. NHK is one of the broadcasting companies in Japan that has several channels which air everything from dramas to anime to cooking shows. At Christmas, the promenade in front of their building in Shibuya has a beautiful light display that's open to the public.

3\. Christmas cake in Japan is basically a yellow/white genoise sponge cake soaked with sherry, layered and frosted with whipped cream and topped with fresh strawberries and chocolate shavings and you can enjoy it with a bottle of sparkling wine.

 **Well I hope everyone enjoyed this. It was really fun to be able to write a story for someone else as a gift. It helped me break free from the trappings of life, work, mild seasonal depression and major writers' block**

 **#MerrySkipmas**

 **AUTHOR OUT!**


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